Orchard of Mines: Backwards to the Fore
by Puddlejumper64
Summary: Lyle Connaway is an average high school student who leads an average life, has average friends and family, and is even average at being average. However, the realms of impossibility are wiped from existence as strangers who have powers unheard of come knocking on his door, looking for a friend of theirs. Lyle decides to help, unaware of the dangers and mysteries that await him.
1. Chapter 1

Note: This is a crossover between Tales of Symphonia, Fullmetal Alchemist, and D. Gray-man.

Orchard of Mines: Backwards to the Fore

Epic Music: Tikal by E.S. Posthumus

Chapter 1

Nothingness. There was nothing in the beginning. He was just floating in an empty void, completely wrapped in eternal darkness. Something strange was about it, however. It was uninviting, but at the same time welcoming. _How odd,_ he thought. He desired it, but at the same time, he wanted it to go away. So he did nothing.

However, it got stranger. Somehow, the darkness took some sort of shape. It wasn't human, creature, or any form of living being. It just was.

A face appeared in this strange form. No…not quite a face. Just a grin and an eye. But that was more than enough. The expression alone told him that this thing had complete control. It knew that he had no power. None whatsoever. Slyness and arrogance were ever present in its expression. It also told him that it offered him something he wanted badly, though he didn't know what.

It also knew that he couldn't refuse.

He reached his hand out and placed it into its hand. Its grin grew even wider and pulled him into its misshapen body.

Suddenly he was laying on something really rough, but his head rested on something really soft. He opened his eyes slowly almost afraid of what he was going to see, though he had no reason to fear.

The first thing he saw was a girl. She had long, flowing blonde hair and blue eyes. There was something really soothing about her. It could be her face. There was nothing but pure bliss and happiness written on her expression. She wore strange clothing that was white trimmed in blue that seemed to have an angelic vibe. And her age seemed to be either in her early twenties or late teens.

She noticed he was awake. "Good morning," she said with a tired smile. It seemed she just woke up as well.

He sat up and glanced around at where he was. It was a room completely encased in metal. There was not even a crack along its smooth surface. The door itself was also made of metal and seemed to be shut tight. The only source of light came from a narrow slit of a window. It must be the sunrise.

He also noticed a very thin man in old, tattered clothing consisting of a green undershirt and darker green khaki. He also wore black military boots. The poor condition of the clothes didn't draw his attention, however. He couldn't take his eyes off of the rifle that was in the man's hands. A guard? So this is a prison cell.

He was apparently lying on a bed of some sort, though the mattress was really rough.

He then realized what he was wearing. It was a grey tee shirt and white shorts. No…not shorts…underwear. It only felt like shorts. He guessed he should feel indecent, but oddly, he didn't care.

"Um…surprise?" she said.

He sat up and turned to face this mysterious girl. "Surprise?" he asked. He gasped when suddenly an image of this same girl appeared in his mind, her body burnt and her flesh charred. This image frightened him and he couldn't help but look away.

He was about to bury his face in his hands, but when he laid his eyes on them, they changed. They were clean with a thin layer of dust on them, at first. The next moment, they were completely covered in blood. Terror filled his soul as he looked upon this frightening image. It only lasted a moment, though. Lyle quickly put his hands under his arms as tears started welling up in his eyes.

The girl placed her hands on his shoulder. "Lyle, what's wrong?"

He looked up at her, thankful that the image of her burnt corpse was no longer there. "Lyle? Is that my name?"

Her expression screamed concern and utter disbelief. "You…don't remember?"

"Remember what?"

The guard in the corner didn't hide his surprise.

"Oh, no." Her eyes drew away from him and her arms fell from his shoulders as she was clearly trying to process what she just heard. "Could it have come from yesterday?"

"What happened yesterday?" Her eyes fell back on Lyle. He was surprised to see her eyes welling up as well. "What's wrong?"

"I… I don't know."

"How can you not know what's wrong?"

"No, it's not that. I don't know if I should tell you."

"Why not?"

"It's bad, Lyle. Really bad."

Lyle suddenly wasn't so sure he wanted to know, so he simply said, "I see." He lowered his head, looking at the ground and nervously ran his fingers through his hair. "Can you tell me who I am?"

"Yes, I can. Your full name is Lyle Seymour Connaway." Lyle raised his head a little higher at that. "You are eighteen years old and are from a small town called Midvale." He immediately looked back up at her. "You recognize it?"

"Yeah. I don't remember very much of it, but I do know that it has a special place in my heart."

"You've always loved Midvale, Lyle. Your fondest memories revolve around that place."

"They used to, at least."

She nodded, lowering her head. "Yeah. If we hadn't come along…" She suddenly spaced out. Judging from the look on her face, what she was thinking about was really painful for her.

"Hey, are you alright?"

She looked back up at him and quickly wiped away the tears. "Oh, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. So do you have any other questions?"

"Too many to count, honestly. Um…it's odd. I feel like I'm supposed to know you really well, but I just don't. Do you mind explaining who you are?"

"Oh, not at all! I'm Colette Brunel. We've been traveling together since the very beginning."

When she said her name, another image flashed in his mind. It was that same girl, except… "Angel wings," he said aloud.

"Hmm?"

"You have angel wings."

Her face was positively beaming. "You remember!"

"That part, yeah." He couldn't help but glance behind her. There was nothing but empty space behind her. "Where are they?"

"Oh, they're put away right now," she giggled a little. "I'll show you!"

"Um…okay." She got on her feet, turned around, and suddenly, semi-transparent wings sprouted from her back. They were pink near the base and turned darker purple the further out they went. Lyle's mouth fell open at this beautiful sight. "Amazing!"

"Hey, look, look!" She started flapping her wings faster and faster until she lifted off the ground. Lyle felt a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. Suddenly, everything was wonderful, despite the fact that all he could remember were traumatic memories.

Another memory flash went through Lyle's head. It was her showing off her wings. They were surrounded by other people, but he couldn't remember who they were.

"Uh…can I ask you something?"

She set down on the ground as she said, "Of course, what is it?"

"Why are we in this cell?" He glanced in the corner where the guard stood.

"Um…Lyle…" She put away her wings and sat down next to him. "It's not us that's in prison."

"What do you mean?"

"It's just you. I just spent the night here."

"Just me?"

Clicking and clanging suddenly emanated from the door. It was being unlocked. The guard leveled the barrel of his weapon at Lyle, which caused him to flatten him against the wall. The door creaked and groaned as it opened slowly, revealing a tall, well-built man who appeared to be in his late thirties. He wore even stranger clothing than Colette did. It was all the color purple except for the belt which was light blue and the boots which were light blue and white. Attached to that belt was a long sword that went down to his ankles. His hair was blood red and extremely messy.

There was something about this man that demanded respect without actually demanding it. Lyle could tell just from the way he stood there that he was a definite leader. Plus, just the way that he wore the sword indicated he was a very powerful swordsman.

The blade itself seemed very unique. The hilt seemed normal enough, brown with a red stripe spiraling down the handle. The guard itself, on the other hand, seemed almost alive, with a single red eye in the center and jagged wings. It looked so organic that for a split second, Lyle thought he saw the eye move. It lay still, however, so it must've been his imagination. The scabbard was split down the middle, so the blade must be forked.

Another image flashed into Lyle's mind. _This man had his sword drawn, ready to attack him. Lyle had his own blade out as well. "STOP THIS, LYLE! STOP!" he shouted._ So Lyle had a sword, but where's it gone? His brow furrowed as he tried to understand this new piece of the puzzle.

"It isn't necessary to point the gun at him, Rowan," the man said.

"But Kratos, you saw what he did! As long as the door is open, I'm not going to put it down."

"Then there is no point in arguing. We were going to close the door, anyway."

"Good." The man stepped inside the prison cell, followed by another strange person. This woman looked a little closer to Lyle's age. She was very worn down and had a very solemn look on her face. Despite that, she was really cute.

Her clothing involved what can only be described as a white shirt, black collar, blue leggings, and brown thigh boots. Her hair was really long, with the back going down to her knees and the front going down to her chest. She, too, entered the cell.

Another memory flash happened with her. _They were in some sort of enclosed space. The walls were lined with buttons and computer screens. Lyle said, "I'll use my power to keep the shield up. Gather as much thermal energy as you can, so we can blast off away from the shockwave."_

_She nodded. "Right!"_

And then it ended as quickly as it began. Lyle stood up, dusting himself off.

"Good morning, you two," the girl said.

"Good morning," Colette and Lyle replied.

Lyle then turned to the man and said nervously, "Good morning, sir."

The man cocked his head slightly to the right with a confused expression on his face. "Sir?" he asked. "I told you not to call me that, Lyle."

"You did?"

He then raised an eyebrow. "You don't remember. You may be a strong fighter, but your forgetfulness never ceases to astound me."

"It's not just that," Colette said. "Just a moment ago, I had to tell him his name and age."

The girl's jaw dropped. "Oh, no. That's horrible!"

Kratos thoughtfully placed his hand on his chin. "I see. So he's dealing with the trauma by not dealing with it." Lyle furrowed his brow at him. It seemed obvious that they knew each other well, before the memory loss. Why isn't he more shocked or surprised like the girl? Does nothing faze him?

"Yes," Colette replied. "He wanted to forget yesterday's events."

"What happened yesterday?" Lyle asked once again.

He continued as if he didn't hear. "Then we might as well reintroduce ourselves. My name is Kratos Aurion."

The girl next to him said, "And I'm Marta Lualdi. Do our names sound familiar?"

"I think so…maybe… I don't know."

"How much do you remember, Lyle?" Kratos asked.

"Not much. Just bits and pieces."

"Hmm… Can you explain them?"

"Which ones?"

"Start with the first one you had."

"Well, it was with…Colette, right? …Okay. She was a burnt, charred corpse." They all exchanged glances. Colette lowered her head and started nervously kicking at the dirt. "Do you know what I'm talking about?"

"Yes. Now what was the next one?"

Lyle couldn't help but feel like Kratos changed the subject too quickly, but he said nothing. "It was my hands. They were covered in blood." Lyle raised his right hand and stared at it. Suddenly, the image came back and more. "I was crying. I hated myself for what I did, whatever it was."

"And the next?"

"Well…with you, we were fighting each other in a plaza of sorts. In a desert town." Kratos raised his head as if he were awakened from a dream. He recognized that moment immediately.

Lyle and Kratos said at the same time, "Lior."

"We were fighting in the town we're in now." Lyle walked over to the window to try to look outside, trying to catch a glimpse of that area. But all he saw was a dry endless desert.

"Yes. It was yesterday."

Lyle's eyes widened and looked back at him. "We fought yesterday?"

"Yes."

"Does that have to do with what caused my memory loss?"

"Yes, it does."

"Then you know what happened!"

"Everybody knows what happened."

Lyle advanced on Kratos with a determined look on his face. "Then why don't you tell me if it's not a secret?!"

"Think about it, Lyle! If what happened yesterday caused you to lose your memories, then your subconscious mind doesn't want them to come back! What's best is that you remember what happened slowly and deal with each memory as they come."

Lyle's hands balled up into a fist as he persisted, "But wouldn't it be easier if I remember it all at once?"

"First of all, Lyle, this isn't a physical wound. It's much more complicated than that. Second of all, yesterday wasn't the only incident."

Lyle's hand softened. "What do you mean?"

"Various events, coupled with your…condition, proceeded to destroy you psychologically. The one that happened yesterday was the worst of all. I believe that it was the catalyst that caused your memory loss."

Lyle's eyes trailed off. "That…makes…sense," he was reluctant to say.

"It is only a theory. Really, it is best to consult a psychiatrist about this."

Colette and Marta nodded. "But where do we find one?" Colette asked. "There isn't really an institute for psychiatrists or anything."

"The most we can do right now is ask around to see if we can find one or somebody who knows one."

"Maybe we could ask Hoenheim," Marta said. "He's still in town and seems pretty knowledgeable."

"Yes, he would be a good person to ask. You do that, Marta. Colette could go to the Holy Mother of Lior. I'll ask the local military."

"Who's this Holy Mother?" Lyle asked.

"The spiritual leader of this town," Marta said. "She serves as a symbol of hope against the State."

"Okay, now, what's with this whole State business?"

"We'll answer your questions later," Kratos said. "You want your memory back, don't you?"

"Of course, as soon as possible."

"Then we should be getting to work." He turned to leave, but neither Colette nor Marta moved. He stopped and said, "I see. Which of you would like to stay?"

"I will," Marta said.

"Do what you will. I'll talk with Hoenheim."

"I, um…" Colette said. Lyle cocked an eyebrow. Are her cheeks turning red? "Is it alright if I…stay with Lyle instead?"

Before anyone could say anything, Marta said, "Colette, can I talk to you for a second, outside?"

"Oh, yeah, of course." Colette suddenly became as solemn as the rest of them. It would seem she has an idea of what they were going to talk about and it wasn't pleasant, whatever it was. They both took their leave, leaving Lyle, Kratos, and Rowen standing in the cell.

Lyle realized that Rowen didn't raise his weapon this time.

He began chewing over what happened within the past few minutes: the images, the explanations, everything. Perhaps within them lies…a clue! Kratos mentioned that Lyle had some sort of condition. But what? Lyle decided to ask about it, even though he knew what his response would be.

"I can't tell you, Lyle. Not right now, at least."

"Thought so," he grumbled as he sat down on his bed.

"You must understand, Lyle. It's for your own good."

"Sure."

A moment passed before Marta and Colette returned and Lyle got back on his feet. Once again, Rowen never raised his weapon as they entered. "I'll stay with him," Colette said.

Lyle was starting to feel better already.

"Very well," Kratos said. "Let's get going, Marta."

"Before we go, there's something I need to do."

Marta then turned to Lyle. _Uh-oh._

She immediately ran forward, wrapped her arms around Lyle, and hugged him as tight as she could. He swore his spine was about to snap in half. "Ow, ow, ow, ow!" Lyle shouted.

At that, Marta let go. "Oh, I'm sorry."

"It's alright," he said, rubbing his back. "Why'd you have to hug so tightly?"

"Well, duh, we're friends and I'm worried about you. So I thought a hug might cheer you up." Come to think of it, Lyle did notice his mood was much improved. And as he looked upon Marta, her solemn expression was replaced with a spark in her eyes.

Lyle smiled. "Thank you, Marta."

Marta smiled back and giggled. "I haven't seen that lovely smile of yours in such a long time!" she shouted as she wrapped her arms around Lyle and hugged him again, not so tightly. "I feel like I'm seeing the real you again."

Lyle hugged back this time, awkwardly. "What do you mean by that?"

"Oh…nothing." She let go of him and looked upon his face. She suddenly burst into laughter and stepped out of the cell. "I'll see you later, Lyle! Take care of him, Colette!"

"I will!" she responded.

Kratos, with a slight smile on his face, stepped outside of the cell into the hallway, which was also dark except for the sunlight that crept in. "We will bring something to eat when we return. The quality of the food in this prison is appalling…with all due respect." Rowen opened his mouth to say something about that, but quickly shut it as he followed them. He closed the door behind him and locked it.

"So how are you feeling?" Colette asked with a smile.

"Huh?" Lyle asked.

"I said, 'How are you feeling?'"

"Oh. I'm feeling much better, though I'm starting to get hungry."

"Come to think of it, I'm starving, too."

"I hope Kratos can scrounge up something good."

"He will. He's always been dependable."

"Remind me to thank him and Marta when they get back."

"Of course!"

"And thank you, Colette."

"Oh, it's no trouble at all."

Lyle smiled as he sat down and laid back against the wall. Colette sat next to him. "So what now?" he asked.

"I don't know." She started rubbing her eyes. "To be honest, I'm too exhausted to think."

"You didn't get any sleep last night?"

She stopped mid-rub and looked at him nervously. "Um…no. I mean…uh…no as in, I didn't not get sleep," she giggled.

Lyle chuckled a little. "You can't fool me, Colette. Those bags under your eyes are huge."

"Really?" She started feeling the skin beneath her eyes.

"I'm just saying I can see how tired you are."

"Oh. Well, I'm fine. You don't need to worry about me."

"Well, still, you ought to get some rest."

"I…" She looked as if she was going to fight some more, but she finally sighed and surrendered. "Yeah, I'm really tired."

"Victory is mine," Lyle said with a half-smile.

She chuckled a bit. "Yeah. Well, can't blame a girl for trying."

"No, I can't." Lyle stood up. "Go ahead and take the bed. It's rough, but it's better than this…" He placed his hand on the wall. …steel."

"Okay."

Colette laid down on the mattress facing away from Lyle and awkwardly set her head on her arm. Lyle then realized that there were no pillows. "Are you comfortable?"

"I'll be fine," she said as her head slipped off her arm. She put it back in place only to have it slide off again.

Lyle's cheeks lit on fire once an idea occurred to him. "You know…uh…"

Colette flipped over to look at him. "Hmm?"

She propped her elbow against the bed so her head was resting in her hand. Lyle couldn't help but look away. _She's so pretty._

"Oh, thank you!" Colette said, grinning.

Lyle nearly leapt out of his clothes. "Wait, what?"

"You just called me pretty."

"I…I said that out loud?"

Colette giggled once again as she nodded. "Well, actually, you muttered it under your breath very softly."

"How'd you hear me?"

"One of the perks of being an angel. Well, actually, not quite an angel, but close," she corrected herself.

"I'm interested to hear how that works, but…" Lyle shook his head. He's getting off track. "I was just wondering…"

"Yes?"

"Before I say it, I want you to know ahead of time, if you don't want to do this, feel free to refuse, okay?"

"O…kay…"

"I was thinking, maybe, that…you know how I woke up and my head was on your lap?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you want to do that…except with places switched?" Lyle held up his hands. "Once again, feel free to refuse…if you want, that is," he quickly added.

"I would actually really like that."

Lyle's mouth fell open. "R-Really?" Colette nodded. "Alright."

Colette sat up as Lyle walked over to the bed. He sat down when she said, "You don't have to turn red for everything, Lyle. You're giving me a pillow, that's all." She laid her head down on his lap. "And a comfy one at that." Her smile never left her face.

"I…I can't help it. I have no control."

"You won't hear an argument from me on that." She then closed her eyes.

Lyle looked around his cell. Suddenly, it didn't seem like such a bad place. Then a thought occurred to him. He looked back at Colette. "Is what we're doing right now considered normal?"

She replied, groggily, "Maybe. Honestly, I'm too…tired…" Her body rose and fell from her inhaling and exhaling as sleep overtook her. Lyle thought about getting rest as well, but he was wide awake. Besides, the wall was very uncomfortable. She sat like this all night?

Lyle couldn't help but smile. He was sorry she had to endure this the whole night, but she was willing without complaint. That meant a lot to him. He grew determined not to complain as well, though something told him he wouldn't anyway. Perhaps he was a nice guy before his memory loss.

He glimpsed at Rowen, who still stood in the corner, and was now cleaning his rifle. Lyle's smile suddenly faded. Perhaps not.

The more Lyle thought about it, the more he didn't want to remember…but at the same time, he grew more and more curious. Maybe it was one of those truths that only benefited those that didn't know about it. But that's a moot point, since everyone else seems to know about it. But that's exactly it. Why should he be the only one kept in the dark?

Lyle then grew determined to find out. He didn't care if it took decades, he will get his memory back!

_._


	2. Chapter 2

Orchard of Mines: Backwards to the Fore

Chapter 2

Not long after Lyle's ultimatum, the lock groaned as it unlocked, allowing the door to swing open. Kratos stepped inside, holding something in his hand. "Hey," Lyle said softly.

Kratos, who appeared to be a bit sweaty, nodded in response as he came forward and handed him a pear. Lyle carefully bit into the juicy fruit, careful not to make any noise. Luckily, it was very soft. After Kratos came a man that looked to be in his forties. Those eyes behind the glasses...they said that they've seen the ugliest of things in life and not so much the pretty side. His face appeared very hardset, as if he's held the same scowl for years until it became permanent. Along with it, he had a moderately thick beard and sideburns adorning his face. He had blonde hair that seemed short at first, but Lyle caught sight of a pony tail trying to hide behind the man's neck. It was long, just slicked back.

He wore a tuxedo with a black jacket with matching slacks and shoes, white shirt, and green tie, all beneath a brown overcoat. Lyle wondered if he felt hot under that, despite how thin the tux must be. Then he noticed that he had no sweat at all.

The door groaned shut behind the two.

Lyle was about to get up, but then he remembered Colette. Even after all the noise the door made, she was still sound asleep. The man Kratos brought in noticed her and said softly, "I'm sorry if I'm interrupting something."

"No, no, it's fine," Lyle quickly said. "She didn't get sleep last night so I'm letting her rest on my lap. No pillows see."

"Perhaps I can come by at a later time?"

"It's fine. As long as we speak softly, I'm sure she won't be disturbed."

"Very well." He came forward and presented his hand. "My name is Van Hohenheim. I am first and foremost an alchemist, but in my years I've learned quite a bit about psychiatry."

Lyle couldn't believe his luck! They've found a solution already! But it appeared that Lyle didn't hide his excitement well, since Hohenheim smiled. How odd. He seemed happy, but at the same time, sad. This puzzled Lyle, but somehow, that expression seemed familiar. Then another flash happened.

_He was facing a beautiful girl with long blue hair, striking red eyes, and the longest pair of ears he'd ever seen. She wore what Lyle guessed was a school uniform and also appeared very depressed. "I saw your face as you charged them. You were determined, but…you also seemed so sad."_

_ "Oh, is that so? Honestly, I had no idea. But frankly, I'm more surprised that you were paying more attention to my face than the battle itself."_

_ "That is kind of weird, isn't it?"_

_ "A little." Lyle couldn't help but smile faintly._

_ The girl suddenly embraced him without warning. "Even when you smile, you look sad."_

And then it was over. "Lyle, are you alright?" Kratos asked. Lyle looked up at him, suddenly aware of where he was now. "Was it another flash?"

Lyle nodded. "It was of a girl…we were talking about my expression during some battle. I didn't seem to suffer any injuries, so I must've won without much difficulty."

"A girl?" Hohenheim asked. "Someone you love?"

"Perhaps. There's nothing else."

"I see. Judging from what I've heard, I don't believe your memory loss is the work of trauma."

"It's not?"

"No, though I suspect it did play a role. It's possible your memories were locked away by something or someone. Whether it was voluntary or not remains to be seen. Though, judging from the events of yesterday, I would say the former is more likely. The fact that you're remembering bits and pieces suggest some sort of resilience to memory wiping. Perhaps it was tampered with before…?"

"Someone's been messing with my memories?!"

"It is pure conjecture right now. We won't know for sure until your memories return."

"Then, if you don't mind, I'd like to get started right away."

Hohenheim reached into a pouch on his belt previously hidden by his overcoat and pulled out a pen. "What I plan on doing is…" He was interrupted by the door unlocking and opening.

Marta came through, looking even more exhausted than before, if that was possible. Perhaps it was the sweat that poured down her face. "Whew, it's hot out there!" Kratos quickly grabbed Marta's shoulder, placed a single finger on his lips, and then pointed at Colette, who fortunately, hasn't stirred. "I'm sorry!" she said as softly as she could.

Kratos quietly guided Marta out of the cell and closed the door behind him. Lyle guessed that he was going to explain everything to her and then Marta would share what information she had.

"As I was saying," Hohenheim resumed, "what I plan on doing is I'm going to hypnotize you."

"With the pen?"

"Yes. It's much simpler than most people would think."

Lyle was quite surprised. Such an ordinary object could help him get his memories back? It seemed too extraordinary. "How will this work?"

"What will happen is I'm going to take you back to when your troubles first started: the day your journey began." As if reading Lyle's mind, he said, "Marta has already told me most of what's happened since the beginning. I must say, even I found it hard to swallow at first."

Hohenheim held up the pen exactly halfway between Lyle and himself. "One more thing before we begin. We'll be taking this a piece at a time. While hypnotized, I will leave a sign on your subconscious, I'm afraid I can't tell you what. When it happens, I will awaken you immediately."

"Awaken?"

"From your perspective, it will be like a dream. And don't worry about your past, before this journey. The holes will fill in automatically when our session is done."

What wonderful news! Entire years restored to him all at once! Lyle did his best to cover up his excitement and simply nodded.

"Very well, let us begin. Concentrate on the pen." Lyle did exactly that, unsure of what exactly was going to happen. "All of your thoughts are on this pen." His gaze still focused on the pen, the world seemed to slip slowly into darkness. "You're sleepy, in a very relaxed state." He suddenly felt drowsy, the world slipping away. "Isn't it relaxing?" His voice grew more and more distant. The world was now gone. All he heard was his voice, far, far away. "Hold up your left arm." Lyle felt his body automatically do just that. He didn't think about it, he just did it. "Now let us go back. Back to where your journey began. The very first day."


	3. Chapter 3

Orchard of Mines: Backwards to the Fore

Chapter 3

Lyle suddenly felt like he stepped off the edge of the cliff and fell…into his own body. His body jerked of its own accord as he was suddenly brought into the world of the conscious. His eyes popped open.

Everything was eerie and quiet, as it always was when he first awakens. Lyle had never needed the use of an alarm clock. It was almost as if his body was attuned to sixth hour. How this worked was beyond everyone, including himself.

He sat up on his bed and quickly glanced his surroundings. The only source of light was the sunrise in the window of his own room and what little light emanated from the bottom of the bedroom door. With that, he could see his nightstand, walk-in closet, bookshelf, and dresser. He claimed his room was always clean, but if anyone looked too closely, they would notice a good mess here and there.

Lyle, who just now consciously registered he was wearing pajamas, which consists of whatever tee shirt he wore the previous day and pajama shorts, swung his legs over the edge and sat on the bed for a bit. At that moment, all he wanted was to lie back down and sleep some more, but he reminded himself that it was the last day of junior year. One more early wake-up call and then he can sleep all he likes for the next two months.

With that in mind, Lyle got up and flipped the switch, flooding the room with light. "Argh, bright!" he said, shielding his eyes. Once his eyes adjusted enough, he began pulling out the clothes he would need: a grey tee shirt, a black sweatshirt, and…

His body seemed to stop moving on its own as he laid eyes on what sat on a stand on top of his dresser: a sword; to be more specific, a katana.

Lyle picked up his blade and pulled it out of its scabbard. As he looked upon the burnished steel, questions that he has asked himself for as long as he can remember came to mind_. Why is this sword so precious to me, I can't let it go? There's no use I could have for it, so why keep it?_

Lyle had occasionally taken this sword to the nearby dumpster with the full intent of throwing it away, but every time, he would end up taking it back. He even practiced with it…even though he had no idea if he was doing it right or not. He just did what felt right to him.

Lyle shook his head and put the sword back. He can space out at any time. Right now, he has to focus on getting ready. He pulled the last of his needed clothes, black jeans, and changed. He always saved the shower for the evening instead of the morning. It saved time. Once he was fully dressed, he opened the door and stepped into the hallway. Right in front of him was the hallway closet, the first to greet him every morning. His mother's bedroom, along with his own, occupied one side of the hallway while his brother's room and the bathroom occupied the other.

The first thing Lyle heard was the television in the family room. It was the Channel Six news with the volume lowered significantly. It was always quiet in the mornings, he wasn't sure why. He didn't really question it, though. That was just the way things were.

Lyle walked out into the family room where he saw his older brother, sitting on the couch behind the black coffee table. His eyes darted away from the television and laid eyes on his younger brother. "Morning, Lyle."

"Morning, Martin." The red-haired 19-year-old already had his carpenter outfit on. The only thing lacking were his hard hat and tool belt, both of which were on the counter.

"Good morning, Lyle!" he heard his mother's, Jane's, voice come from the kitchen. The kitchen was in a bit of an alcove, with the counter partially separating it from the family room. Lyle glanced around the corner and saw her, pouring coffee in a traveler's mug. She was already ready to go: her purse was on her shoulder, her black coat was on, and her brown hair was brushed neatly. He must've slept in a little. This thought was confirmed to be the truth when she said, "I was almost afraid I was going to miss you this morning."

Lyle glanced at the clock hanging over the kitchen table, which was on the opposite side of the kitchen as the counter. It read 6:28. He slept in almost a half hour past his usual wake up time. And yet, he still felt tired. But, like a lot of things, Lyle did not question why that was. He just accepted that that was the way things were.

With her travel mug filled, Jane walked around the counter and made her way to Martin. He just sat there and took the kiss he got on the top of his head. "Don't step on a nail, okay, Martin?"

"Are you kidding?" he chuckled, "I'm the safest guy I know! I'll be fine."

"I'll still worry about you, you know. It's my job as a parent to worry about you."

Martin stood up. "Look, mom, I'll be fine. I've been a carpenter for over a year now and I haven't had a single accident!"

"Make sure it stays that way, son."

"I will. Now, run along or you're going to be late."

"Yes, sir," she said while laughing. Then she walked over to Lyle, who stood close to the front door. "You have fun at school, alright?"

"I probably won't, but I'll make it through the day. Only two class periods, remember?"

"That's right. What are you going to do after school?"

"I'm not sure. I'll let you know what I plan when the time comes."

"Sounds like a plan!" she smiled. "Alrighty, I'll see you tonight."

Jane kissed Lyle on the cheek. Lyle did the same and hugged her tightly. "Be safe, mom."

"You, too." With that, she stepped out and closed the door behind her.

Lyle then walked into the kitchen and poured himself a bowl of cinnamon toasters. "How you feeling, Lyle?" Martin asked.

"Exhausted, as usual."

"Well, don't worry, you'll get used to it."

"Used to it? What do you…? Oh, right." He suddenly remembered that his mother was going to have him work with her at Jim's Market throughout the summer. She worked there long enough to gain the ear of James Alamein, the owner. It didn't take much to convince him to hire Lyle for the summer, since the last employee, Alan Mirain, moved away three months ago. This meant that there was no way he could sleep in. Lyle was disheartened at first, but he shrugged it off. _Could be worse,_ he thought.

"Yes, it could be. You could be working for my employers."

Lyle wasn't as surprised as he was in the past. "I said my thoughts out loud again, didn't I?" Martin nodded. "Are they that bad?"

"Well, actually, I meant that at least you're not a carpenter. If you became one, I'd have to keep a very close eye on you."

"I'm pretty sure I'd do just fine if I became one."

"Perhaps, but face it, Lyle, sometimes you can be a real klutz."

"…Yeah, can't argue with that."

Martin glanced at the television and suddenly snatched up the remote, which was on the coffee table, and turned up the volume. Lyle immediately understood why.

The reporter, a young man who wore a tuxedo with a dark blue shirt, grey jacket, and a blue and white striped tie took up the screen. With him, there was a picture in the upper right corner of circles moving outward from a focal point and question marks directly above it. It was labeled, "Earthquake Mystery."

"Whoever comes up with the-"

"Shhh!" Martin said. Lyle stopped short and listened to the story.

"…baffled by the earthquake that occurred four days ago. They have yet to determine where the epicenter is, but they are sure they're coming close to an answer."

It was then cut to an interview with that same reporter talking with a geologist named Dr. Tanner Spalding. "Our findings thus far are very inconclusive, but given time, I'm sure science will prevail and give us the answers we seek. We will uncover the truth behind this earthquake no matter the time, no matter the cost." Lyle laughed out loud. He sounded more like a politician than a scientist. There was something familiar about his name, though. Where did he hear it before?

"What do you think, Lyle?" Martin asked.

"It sounds to me like they're hiding something."

"Surprisingly perceptive."

"Who, me?"

"Good question."

"Ah, shut it."

Martin chuckled as he stood up. "You should probably finish getting ready. It'll be time to leave soon."

"Oh! I forgot about coffee!" Lyle was on his feet in an instant and hurriedly walked to the kitchen.

"Well, hurry up, you're running out of time." Martin usually leaves earlier, but because the construction site was literally across the street from their house, he could leave five minutes before his shift starts. However, he decided to walk with Lyle on his way to school and part ways at the end of the driveway, which is a good fifty feet long.

Lyle quickly mixed in the creamer with the coffee (he wasn't used to it yet) and quickly guzzled it down. He felt his throat burn from the hot coffee, but that slowed him down only a little. Finished with the cup, he slammed it down sort of like a boozer at a bar after drinking hard liquor.

"Careful, there! You don't want to break it!" Martin said.

"I've got it," Lyle said as he rinsed out the mug. "Relax."

"I'm relaxing just fine. It's you that needs to calm down. Move quickly, but calm down."

"_I said I got it._" Lyle was growing a little irritated.

He held up his hands in surrender. "Alright, fine, don't kill me. You know it's only because I'm used to watching out for you, right?"

Lyle nodded. "Yeah, I know. Sorry."

"Don't worry about it. Stay focused, Lyle, finish getting ready!"

"Right." Leaving the mug in the sink, Lyle made his way to the bathroom. He was pulling out the toothbrush and toothpaste when he saw himself in the mirror. A very average-looking 17-year-old stared back from the mirror. Well, he considered himself average-looking, despite what Rena says. His red hair was almost hilariously messy. He was surprised that Jane and Martin didn't burst out laughing at him. Jane once said that Lyle got his red hair from his father. "Dad…" he found himself muttering. What a mystery that surrounded that man.

Lyle hurriedly finished getting ready and met Martin at the door. "You're cutting it close, Lyle. We need to leave right away."

"I know, I kno—Oh! Hang on a second!" Lyle dashed to the basket that sat on the counter in the kitchen before Martin could say anything. He pulled out a pencil out and stuck it in his pocket, along with his cell phone, wallet, and keys. He then almost ran to the closet and pulled out his white overcoat. It was always much colder at dawn than it was during the day. This fact never changes throughout the year.

Martin held the door open while Lyle stepped through it, onto the welcome mat. While Martin locked the door, Lyle enjoyed the view. Their house was at the top of a slight hill covered in wild grass and tumbleweeds, except for their well-maintained lawn and a few flowers right beside the porch. The road was in between the Connaways' and the neighboring hills. Traffic rarely went by, but when it did, it always seemed very loud. Well, it used to, before the construction projects began.

Lyle didn't know if it was the mayor of Midvale, Goslow Reprimand, or someone else important, but somebody ordered a series of construction projects in this town. As to why this was going on, Lyle didn't know or cared. Martin saw this opportunity and landed a job fairly easily as a carpenter. Their current project was one of the first things Lyle saw…and it was questionable, to say the least.

The house was so small, it was almost comical. It looked more like a small tower than a residential home. Construction workers were already moving about the premises, their muscle-bound bodies now squashed inside. And Martin had to work in there. A couple days ago, Rena nicknamed it the Mouse House.

"How long is it going to take to finish that off?" Lyle asked.

"We should be finished by tonight," Martin replied.

"Tonight? That's seriously all we're going to get?"

"Yeah. That's because it's half the size of what it ought to be. Well, in terms of width, not height. It's growing more and more surreal the nearer it gets to completion."

"Why didn't you simply make it bigger?"

"Mayor Reprimand specifically told our manager he wanted this thing built small. I guess it's supposed to be a tourist attraction or something. I can't imagine anyone wanting to live in a place like that."

"It's not much of an attraction."

"I agree with you, but ours is not to question why. As long as I'm paid, I'll build whatever they tell me to." Lyle just realized that Martin had the same attitude as he did: don't question why, just go with the flow.

The brothers reached the street, both still staring at the odd sight. "I swear, it's almost as if it's gotten smaller."

"I suppose that's the point. Okay, Lyle, I'm off."

"I know that," Lyle said grinning.

"Hey, didn't you say you were sick and tired of that joke yesterday?"

Lyle shrugged. "Well, you opened the door for me, I couldn't resist."

"I thought you couldn't. I'll see you tonight, Lyle!" Martin went straight to the trailer parked just outside of the construction zone and disappeared inside to clock in.

Lyle was left standing there, wondering what he meant. Then he figured it out and let out a good chuckle. "Well played, brother."

"POUNCE!" a female voice shouted behind Lyle. He was suddenly almost tackled from behind as a pair of arms wrapped around his stomach and squeezed him hard.

He acted like it didn't hurt, though it did cause a substantial amount of pain. Without turning around he said, "Hello, Rena."

"Awww, no squeal?" she asked.

"You've 'pounced' me almost every morning. I'm used to it."

"Well, I'll have to come up with something fresh, then!"

"You do that."

Rena Largo let go and stepped within Lyle's viewpoint. She was the same age as him, but nowhere near the same height. She only came to his chest. Physically, she was very well-endowed, but she acts as if she hasn't hit puberty yet. Jonas once said that she "acts as if she stopped maturing at 3rd grade." While he didn't think that quite described her, it was pretty close. She had dyed her hair a couple months ago, so now all of it was dark purple. In Lyle's opinion, it suits her very well.

The two started making their way down the road, towards the town of Midvale.

Lyle turned to her and… Uh-oh. Lyle recognized that look on her face. Gears were turning in her head. She was already hatching a way to make him squeal. Or she already has something.

"Alright, I'll bite. What are you thinking about?"

A great big smile spread across her lips and she said, "You forgot something, Lyle."

"What? What did I forget?"

"A little something that happened last night."

Dread poured across his face as a thousand unsavory ideas poured into his mind. "What did I do? It was nothing bad, was it?"

"The worst, Lyle."

He gulped. "Do I want to know?"

"Yes, your eyes are just begging to find out."

"No, are you kidding? I'm almost terrified to find out."

"Exactly! The little something you forgot is…" She motioned for Lyle to stop and lean down. He did, nervously, and she whispered in his ear, "…the prom."

Lyle straightened his back and…stopped to process what he heard. "The prom?"

"Yep!" she grinned.

Lyle furrowed his brow, unsure of how he should react. He kept opening his mouth and it would keep forming words. Rena just stared at him and tried to mimic his mouth movements with her own. Finally, he settled with, "How very…anticlimactic."

"You have no idea, do you?"

Lyle resumed his trek to the school, with Rena slightly behind him. "Should I?"

"Oh, boy. Okay, I'll tell you. Mia thinks you ditched her at the prom."

"What?!" Lyle shouted, his voice cracking slowly.

At that, Mia leapt in the air with her fist raised, "Yay, I made you squeal!"

Lyle quickly grabbed her shoulders to calm her down. "Rena, please tell me you didn't say what I thought you said!

She acted serious, but there was a slight twitch at the corner of her mouth, which meant that she was dying of laughter on the inside. "You ditched Mia. You never showed up."

Lyle let go and started walking in circles as he realized what could happen today. "Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no…" He then caught up to Resa who had walked ahead and waited for him. "This is a misunderstanding! I was never Mia's date!"

"She thought you were. Everybody thought you were."

"Everyone as in…?"

"Me, Mia, and Jonas."

"Oh, thank goodness! This could've been bad."

"Oh, absitively."

Rena suddenly wrapped her arm around Lyle's and rested her head against it. "I'll help you out, Lyle. Consider yourself lucky."

"Why is your arm locked with mine?"

"You dodo head, that's what best friends do."

"Since when?"

"Since five seconds ago."

Lyle sighed. He kept silent about it for the next minute and finally said, "Okay, that's enough, you can let go now."

Rena looked at him with big puppy dog eyes. "Do I have to?"

"Well…"

Her expression instantly lit up when she noticed the condition of Lyle's face. She reached up with her other arm and pinched his cheeks shouting, "Oooh, oooh, blushy cheeks, blushy cheeks!"

"Ow! Stop that!"

"Stop what?"

"What you're doing to my face!"

"What am I doing to your face?"

"Okay, seriously, that hurts! Let go!"

"Should I leave you two alone?" a male voice came from beside them. At that, Rena finally let go of Lyle. He rubbed his cheek, glad to see his friend of three years. Jonas Bailey moved to Midvale from Coeur D'Alene in the northern region of Idaho. Lyle was the first friend he made and consequently, made friends with Rena and Mia as well. He cracks off a good joke (half the time it's just sarcasm) whenever he sees the opportunity as much as he enjoys cracking eggs. Every so often, he would have a cooking show where he would make a complicated dish in a dramatic, over-the-top way. It would end with both the cook and the audience gorging themselves on the result. Once as he was making cake, he managed to crack an egg in one hand without letting a single shell fragment fall in. When Lyle asked him how he did it, he replied, "All you do is put the right amount of pressure in the right spot and it'll happen naturally."

"Uh, no, that's fine," Lyle replied. "I was trying to shake off the little monkey here."

"Yeah, you were working real hard on that. Piece of advice, Lyle, next time you have a cling-on like her, get physical."  
Lyle completely missed it. "Are you kidding? There's no way I could hurt her!"

Rena gasped and hugged Lyle as tightly as she could. "You're the bestest!" she yelled.

"Rena, you're crushing my spine!"

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" she shouted as she hugged tighter. Lyle swore his back was about to fold in half when she finally let go.

"Oh, the dangers of being a gentleman," Jonas remarked.

"Thanks, Rena. You almost gave me a legitimate excuse for missing school."

"Anytime, friend!" Her goofy grin was probably the largest he's ever seen it.

"Speaking of which, we don't want to be late, do we?" Jonas said. "Let's get a move on." The trio then made the last bend and headed straight for the heart of the town. "By the way, are you aware of how much danger you're in right now?"

"Oh, Rena was kind enough to fill me in."

"Stole my thunder, eh?" Rena stuck her tongue out playfully at Jonas. "Charming."

"I hope she goes easy on him," Rena said, her tongue now retracted. "I don't want this to last too long."

"Don't worry," Jonas said. "It will all blow over soon, once she kills him."

"You know I can hear you, right?" Lyle asked.

"Oh, yeah."


	4. Chapter 4

Orchard of Mines: Backwards to the Fore

Chapter 4

The trio continued their trek to the school. Lyle kept quiet, trying to think about what to say to Mia. Jonas and Rena were still chatting, though he barely paid attention. Rena suddenly shouted, "Hey, Lyle, where are you going?"

He snapped back into the real world and suddenly realized that he was in the middle of a crosswalk. The route that Lyle, Rena, and Jonas usually take was going straight through the heart of the town, make a left, and the school would eventually be on the right. Lyle, however, seemed to have kept going straight instead of making that left. "I have no idea," he said as he rejoined them.

Jonas face palmed. "Over ten years we've been walking this path, and your subconscious still has no idea how to get to school? That's a fail if I've ever seen one. And that's saying a lot."

Lyle just laughed it off. "Yeah, I'm not sure what happened there."

Jonas casually laid his elbow on Lyle's shoulder and said, "You ought to get that spacing out of yours under control. Otherwise—"

"Hey!" Rena said. "His personal space is reserved!"

"Alright, alright." He moved his elbow off of Lyle's shoulder.

"Thanks, Rena," Lyle said.

"Oh, my pleasure."

Jonas chuckled a bit and resumed, "Otherwise, it'll be your own fault if someone kidnaps you."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"You say that, but chances are you're going to forget by lunchtime."

"Yeah, probably."

Jonas half-smiled and said, "The only time you're ever brutally honest is when you're talking about yourself, no one else. I'm at a loss as to whether that's good or bad."

"You and me both."

"I think that's a good thing," Rena chipped in. "You're not afraid to show your faults and feelings about yourself. I think that's very admirable. I don't even think you keep any secrets. Oh, wait!" Her face grew exceptionally darker. Lyle immediately knew where this was going to go. "Except for one!_" _she growled. Rena then stepped in front of Lyle, effectively stopping him. "For the last time, what happened with Tanya?"

When she mentioned that name, a series of painful, gruesome memories flashed through his mind. Lyle grimaced. He wouldn't be who he was today if it wasn't for those events, but sometimes he would rather forget what happened. "That I can't tell you."

"Why not?! That's what best friends do: share secrets! Am I right?"

"Yes, you're right, Rena, but I'm making an exception. Believe me, you don't want to know."

She turned to Jonas. "Can I please get some help here?"

"Rena…let it go. He can keep secrets if he wants. I, myself, am keeping a few. One of them, I'm keeping for you. Or have you forgotten?" That seemed to quiet her down. "It's clear he's not ready yet, so just leave him be until he is."

Rena sighed and turned back to Lyle. She just now noticed his solemn expression and her feelings turned same. "I'm sorry, Lyle. When the time comes, do you promise to tell me?"

Lyle faintly smiled. "I promise."

Rena's gigantic grin showed itself once more. "Good! Thank you, Lyle."

Lyle half-heartedly chuckled. _Please, forgive me, Rena._

At that moment, the three of them have arrived at Midvale School. The very bland name was due to the fact that the entire student body was in this one building: Grades K-12. And it wasn't very big, to say the least. But then, that's the way it was. The only building with any decent size was the jailhouse towards the south end of the town.

The three of them went inside. As usual, students were all in their own little groups, their own little places where they belonged. Lyle would pick up idle chatter as he passed them, mostly consisting of what finals they had, what kind of food the school would serve today (considering it was the last day), and their plans thereafter.

They reached the library. It was barely large enough to hold about fifty students, but it was hardly ever packed. No more than ten would be here at a time. And Lyle, Rena, Jonas, and Mia were among those ten. As a result, it was fairly quiet in there and also quite relaxing. The books mostly consisted of reference material, but there were some picture books for the kids and novels for the teenagers.

The three of them sat down in their usual spot, the table in the corner farthest from the door. Lyle and Rena sort of claimed the table as their own when they were kids. They shared it with Tanya and soon after, Mia. Jonas came in after Tanya was gone, so he never knew her. …He was both lucky and unlucky.

Lyle sighed. "Are you considered about Mia?" Jonas asked.

"Yeah," he replied, even though that was a half-truth.

"Maybe she'll be in a good mood today," Rena said.

"Perhaps. She's a bit of a wild card."

"Ha!" Jonas exclaimed. "Take the 'a bit' out, and then you have a perfect description for her."

Lyle chuckled a bit. "Yeah, that's very true." Those thoughts he had were still there, but he decided he shouldn't linger on them. "Hey, we should celebrate the end of the year!" he declared.

"That's what I'm talking about!"

Rena raised her fist. "Yeah! What are we going to do?"

"Well, I'm not sure yet, but…" Lyle noticed that their eyes were drawn away from Lyle towards the door. They suddenly appeared quite worried. "Oh, no…" he muttered under his breath.

Lyle didn't even have to look to see who grabbed the back of his overcoat's collar and practically dragged him out of his seat. He was barely able to get on his feet before his shirts started choking him. Rena and Jonas stood up, but Mia shouted, "Stay where you are! We need privacy!" Jonas snickered a little at that while Rena simply watched. Lyle figured she would be entertained by this, but now that the time has come, she's more worried than anything else.

She dragged him to the other side of the library to the far end, went behind a bookcase, and practically threw Lyle against the wall. He almost lost his balance, but managed to stay on his feet. As he straightened, his back caught a few reference books, knocking them over and leaving what could possibly be a bruise here and there on his shoulders. Mia placed both hands on the shelves behind Lyle on either side of his head, effectively trapping him.

That was when Lyle looked upon his friend, Mia Madarame. She was of Japanese descent, hence the name, but lived in America all her life. She was born and raised in Philadelphia and then moved to Midvale nine years later. She hardly ever talked about her mother or father and no one has ever set foot in her home; the reason being that her home was far too messy to have guests over.

Mia was, in many respects, quite beautiful. She had blonde hair that went all the way down to her waist and a wonderful complexion. But what made her a turn-off for most people were her two moods: slightly angry and violently angry. Well, that's how she was, at first. After she became one of the gang, Rena rubbed off on her and she was somewhat pacified. However, it seemed that she had reverted back to her old self at this moment.

"Explain yourself!" Mia said, her face mere inches away from Lyle's. He was secretly thankful that she was too intimidating for him to start turning red.

"I'm assuming you're talking about the prom last night?"

"Of course! Tell me why you weren't there and you better have good reason! Notice I said 'reason' not 'excuse.'"

Lyle licked his lips in nervousness. "Alright, you want the truth?"

"No, I want you to spout lies! Idiot!"

"Oh, come on, Mia, you know I'm no good at lying."

"Speak, moron!"

"Alright, alright, alright," Lyle held up his hands in surrender. "The truth is…I have no excuse."

Mia cocked an eyebrow at this. "Explain."

"You see…I clean forgot."

"What?!" she growled. "How can you forget about prom?!"

"I'm forgetful, Mia! You know that!"

"I know, but it's _prom!_ You were my date!"

"That's one reason why I forgot. I didn't even know I had a date."

"You…you…"

_Uh-oh,_ Lyle thought. He was nearing her critical point, as they called it. He would have to tread lightly. "It's my fault." Rena's expression seemed to soften at that. "I misunderstood what Rena said."

At that, Mia seemed to calm down and lowered her arms. "I suppose I did, too." Even while saying that, she still had a hint of a growl.

"'You two should go to prom,'" Lyle quoted. "I believe that's what she said, am I right?"

"Yeah, that's right."

Lyle hugged her. Mia didn't hug back. Rather, she just stood there and took it. That's fine with him.

He released her and as he looked upon her face, a hint of a smile was there for an instant. Her constant scowl replaced it. She brushed her hair away from her face and said, "Let's go back."

While she did that, Lyle noticed something. "Wait a minute." He brushed her hair away and noticed a bruise that had formed on her cheek right by her ear.

Mia immediately grabbed Lyle's wrist and held it away from her face. "What are you doing?"

"Have you been getting in fights again?"

Mia threw his arm back. "So what if I have?"

"You need to stop doing that, Mia!"

"It's not like I have a choice!"

That last sentence took Lyle aback. He was always under the impression that she was getting into these fights willingly. Was someone targeting her? "What are you talking about?"

"I…" she began, but then said, "It's none of your concern."

Lyle placed both hands on her shoulders and said, "You're my friend, Mia. Of course it…" He stopped when he saw two pairs of eyes staring in between the books on the bookshelf behind Mia. Once they were noticed, they immediately came around the other side.

"Hey, are you guys almost done?" Jonas asked.

Rena peered around the corner, just her eyes showing. Mia was none too happy. "Were you guys listening in on us?!"

"No, not at all! We just came in, we swear!"

"Yeah, we didn't hear a word!" Rena chipped in. "Except for the last few as we were arriving, of course."

"Bah! Whatever, we're done here."

"Things are cool between you two?" Jonas asked.

Lyle was about to say yes, but before he could get the chance, Mia said, "Not quite." She turned back to him. "I'm still angry, Lyle, but for now, I can keep my anger contained."

"Oh." He was surprised, though he supposed he shouldn't be. "Anything I can do to help?"

"Don't make me angrier." With that, she walked towards Jonas and Rena. She passed them by as if they weren't there and made her way back to the table.

Jonas followed her and Rena waited for Lyle. He hoped that he doesn't cause Mia any more grievances. "Come on, hurry up!" Rena practically shouted.

"We're not in a hurry, Rena," Lyle said as he made his way toward her.

As if on cue, the morning bell rang. In five minutes, the last two finals of the year would begin. "Yeah, we are!"

"That's brilliant timing…" Lyle said as he moved past Rena.

As he passed, Rena playfully poked his side. "Ack!" He moved away from her and placed his hand where she poked him. "That actually kind of hurt."

"If you want revenge, you can always poke me back." She moved her arm so her side was exposed.

Lyle hesitated. The last time this happened, Rena trapped his hand under her armpit and she refused to let go for awhile. Was this another trap? Or was this a genuine offer? This debate went on for a second longer and he decided to take the risk.

Just as his finger was about to hit the mark, Rena twisted herself slightly so his finger ended up…somewhere else. He couldn't react in time. "Oh, whoops," she said as Lyle pulled his hand back and started rubbing it with his other hand.

_Whoops? That's all she has to say?_ Lyle wondered. As he rubbed his hands, he retreated into himself. "I-I'm…I'm sorry. C-Can I crawl back into my shell now?" he asked, his voice shaking slightly. Certain…urges that every guy has at his age came rushing in. But he ignored them, thinking, _Be a gentleman, be a gentleman. Remember Tanya…_

"You can, but you won't. You have finals to take!" she said as she grabbed his arm and started dragging him out of the library. Lyle was speechless. He knew how easy-going Rena was, but she's acting as if what happened wasn't a big deal at all. Maybe it's not to her.

As they stepped out into the hall, Rena released Lyle and kept walking. Lyle's class was in the opposite direction. She whirled around as she was walking away and shouted, "See you at lunch! Keep it tight!"

_Oh, yeah, that line,_ Lyle thought. A few years ago, Rena came up with her own funny way of saying good-bye. Needless to say, it was "Keep it tight."

One time, Lyle asked her what exactly that means. She smiled that big goofy grin she had and replied, "Whatever you want it to mean!"

"Yeah, see you there!" Lyle called back when his little flashback ended. Suddenly, she stopped and ran back to Lyle. "Hey, what-?"

"Oh, I can't resist!" she shouted as she came up to Lyle and pinched his cheek. "Very red and very cute."

"Uh, you don't have to say that…" he said, chuckling nervously.

Rena let go of Lyle's cheek and giggled, saying, "And the redder he gets…"

"You have way too much fun with me, you know that?"

"I know!" She stuck her tongue out as she walked off. "Keep it tight, Lyle!"

"I'll see you later, Rena!"

She disappeared around the corner. Quite suddenly, he was looking forward to lunch a little more than usual. _Well, once lunch comes, that means that school is over for the year._


	5. Chapter 5

Orchard of Mines: Backwards to the Fore

Chapter 5

Lyle turned around and began walking towards the first class he had today: Chemistry. Right after that, he'll go straight to English. While he particularly enjoyed the former, he's not so fond of the latter. That's mostly because of the essays that he had to write. It's really bothersome to write a paper about a subject he couldn't care less about. The only time he really enjoyed it was when it was fascinating to him.

A couple of right turns and downstairs later, he was in front of the Chemistry classroom, with the lab just on the other side. Anthony Rothschild, the teacher, was standing near his room, greeting the students. He had a very bulky build with his head shaped like a watermelon with a moustache. Lyle didn't know much about him since he preferred that relationships to teachers be strictly professional. What he did know was that he was…pleasant.

"Hello, Lyle," he said. "Good luck on the test."

"Thanks," Lyle said as he entered the class.

"Um…pardon my asking, but did you spend a little too much time in the sun?"

"Huh?" Lyle was initially confused, but it took less than a second for him to figure out that he must be still red. "Oh, um… Actually no, it was something else."

"Ah, I see. Well, in any case, I'm glad you're here," he said with a smile.

"Thanks," Lyle said again. He found his usual seat and sat down, but when he pulled out his pencil, he noticed that the lead was decidedly blunt. _One of these days, I wish I could just lie on the couch and say, "You know what? I'm just going to be lazy today." If only it were that simple…_

He got out of his seat, sharpened his pencil, and sat back down, daring not to put the sharp tip in his pocket for fear of breaking it and/or getting stabbed by it. About a minute later, the bell rang. It was time.

Mr. Rothschild closed the door, effectively cutting off the students inside from the outside world. "Good morning, class and welcome to the last day of school!"

Lyle guessed that there was supposed to be applause there, but there was no response. Of course, they were all tired and absolutely dreading the final. Personally, it never really bothered Lyle. The test occupied his mind and gave him something to do. That really caused time to fly by; and even when he was done, his thoughts would take the forefront of his consciousness. Time would go quickly during the test and then pass instantaneously afterwards. All in all, not a bad deal at all. That doesn't mean Lyle enjoyed it, though.

"Well, let's not waste any time, shall we?" he asked sort of awkwardly. He pulled out the answer sheets and the packets with the questions. "Remember, no writing on the question packet. Answer only on the answer sheet and there'll be no problems."

_Assuming the student knows the material,_ Lyle added inwardly.

He passed out the papers and then the final deluge of the class began. It was the quietest Lyle had ever heard, though that's hardly surprising. He kept working and working until he reached the end, twenty minutes before the end of class. From then on, he kept to his thoughts, just as he originally expected.

The bell rang and the class went on to the final…final. Up the stairs, Lyle went, down the hallway, and in the English class he went. The teacher sat at her desk instead of greeting the students. But Lyle didn't particularly care. He had even fewer connections to Mrs. Barkinel than to Mr. Rothschild. He didn't even know her first name.

The session went exactly like the last. Lyle completed the test with a few minutes to spare and then spaced out the rest of the time. It was easy for him to do that, though he wasn't sure why. Perhaps Jonas was right and it was becoming a problem. But then again, if he didn't have anything else to do, then there's nothing wrong with him doing that. It's only if others are around that he should keep his feet on the ground. Lyle chuckled a little. He'll probably forget about this by tomorrow. Perhaps even by lunchtime.

The bell rang. Lyle was the first out the door. He stuffed his now dulled pencil in his pocket and hurriedly and excitedly made his way to the cafeteria. The school has decided that the last day should be a free lunch for all students. The students have the option of going home at any time from this point on. Lyle, Rena, Jonas, and Mia all agreed, however, to go to the cafeteria. Where they go after that, they don't quite know yet.

Lyle entered the cafeteria. It was somewhat empty now, with a student here and there, but it'll fill up fast. It appeared that he was the first of the four here. He got in line and glanced at the food they were serving: mandarin chicken with tater tots on the side. His mouth began to water. Mandarin chicken were a rare treat for this school. It was practically the only food served here that was actually restaurant quality. And it was free! Whoever decided this went above and beyond all expectations! Just wait until…

"POUNCE!" a familiar voice shouted behind him.

"Aaah!" Lyle shouted.

"YES!" Rena shouted. "My life is now complete."

As soon as Rena let go, Lyle turned around to face her. "You say that every other time you do that. Is it ever truly complete?"

"Of course! …Once I pounce on you, anyway."

"And then the next morning?"

"It's no longer complete," she sighed, her head slightly drooping.

"Does that cycle every get tiring?"

She lifted her head back up and smiled. "Nope! Never!"

"Well, come to think of it, you're never really tired, so…oh, hey!" he greeted Mia as she came in behind Rena, effectively cutting off another student. The boy didn't bother fighting, he just let her in.

"Hey," she responded in a monotone.

"I suppose I shouldn't ask if you're still mad?"

"No, you shouldn't. You already know the answer."

"Of course," Lyle sighed as the line began moving forward. The lunch lady grabbed a plastic tray that he would eat off of and he gestured towards each of the delicacies of a school lunch. "Mandarin chicken, tator tots…" He then saw something he apparently missed when he was talking to Rena. "…a roll and chocolate milk, please."

"Hey, Mia, cheer up!" Rena said. "Don't be such a fuddy duddy." She turned to the lunch lady and indicated to Lyle. "Same as him."

Mia reached behind her and started scratching her back. "Ack, those words make me itch. Same as hers except no roll."

"What, fuddy duddy?"

She began furiously rubbing her scalp. "Stop that!"

Rena then executed the killing blow. "If you forgive Lyle, I'll stop calling you that." The three of them made their way to the table and sat down. As usual, Rena sat close to Lyle while Mia was on the opposite side of the table.

"You can't make me forgive him. I'll do that when I'm ready."

"Fuddy duddy."

Mia was about to scratch her arm, but she hurriedly put her arm down.

"Fuddy duddy."

"Must resist…" she muttered under her breath, her arms starting to shake.

"Fuddy du—" She was cut off when Lyle put his hand on her wrist.

"Hey," he said. "Mia said she would forgive me when she's ready. I mean, I appreciate the effort, but forgiveness is meaningless if it's forced, am I right?"

"Oh…I suppose you're right. I'm sorry, Mia."

"Don't worry about it," she said, scratching her arm with a blurred hand. "And thanks, Lyle. I forgive you."

Rena threw up her arms. "Oh, _now_ you forgive him?!" She suddenly set her arms down and narrowed her eyes at Lyle. "Were you planning this from the beginning?"

Lyle leaned closer to Rena. "Let me ask you something. Am I that intelligent?"

"Well, outside of school, no, not really."

Before Lyle could respond, someone slammed a water bottle right next to his elbow. "What the-?"

"Take the water and apply directly to burned area," Jonas said.

"Oh, it's just you."

Rena suddenly started laughing her bottom off. Even Mia was trying hard not to smile, eventually just placing her hand over her mouth.

"Was I really that funny?" Jonas asked. His question was justified, considering that most of the time, his jokes got little more than a few chuckles.

"No, not you. It's Lyle."

"Me?" He glanced between the two girls in confusion.

"Did you jump high enough, Lyle?" Rena asked.

"Huh? I didn't jump."

"You _totally_ jumped!"

"I didn't!"

"Lyle, you jumped," Mia said.

"I did notice a slight lurch on your part, Lyle," Jonas chimed in. He breathed a very heavy sigh. "You have a bad habit of stealing the spotlight."

"I don't mean to, honest! I don't care about the spotlight."

Jonas picked up his water bottle and sat down between Mia and Rena. "Have you ever noticed just how odd we are?"

"I have!" Mia shouted, that giant grin plastered on her face. "We're the weirdest people I know!"

"Thank you for proving my point. And, Mia, we're the _only_ people you know."

"Nuh-uh! Not true! I know my teachers."

Jonas was about to continue, but then he said, "Touché."

"I think you're right," Lyle said. "We're not very similar at all. Mia is a hyperactive kindergartener…"

She gave one over exaggerated nod.

"…and Mia is…well, the opposite." He didn't want to say any more for fear of inducing her wrath upon him once again. One close shave was enough to last at least a week.

Luckily, Mia nodded and said, "Indeed."

Rena piped up once more. "Lyle is the perfect gentleman and such an easy target for teasing…" Lyle put his head down and repeatedly pounded the table with it. Rena grabbed his shoulders and pulled him up. "Hey, enough of that! Just because I embarrass you on a regular basis doesn't mean you have to act embarrassed."

"Yes, it does."

"No, it doesn't."

"Why are you saying that if you enjoy my embarrassment so much?"

"Well, I have to act that way so you don't stop."

"At least you're honest about it…"

Jonas interrupted them, saying, "Hey, are you going to analyze me? I'm curious."

"Oh, right! Mia, you want to take this one?"

"Uh, no, Rena…" Lyle began, but he was cut off.

"Jonas, you're a wisecracker with a wit that's as sharp as a spoon; and your mind is in the gutter as often as…wait, I just had it, give me a second..."

Jonas raised an eyebrow. "That sounded rehearsed."

"I talk to myself when there's no one else to talk to."

"Ah."

Lyle's stomach grumbled and he realized with a start that he hadn't begun eating, whereas everyone else has. He, of course, started with the mandarin chicken. It, despite being lukewarm, tasted amazing. His taste buds were singing the Hallelujah chorus.

It was then that Lyle noticed that Jonas wasn't getting lunch. "Are you going to eat? They're serving mandarin chicken."

"As much as I'd love to, I promised my mom and dad I would make them lunch when I got home. And, I'm going to eat my food anyway, so might as well save room in my stomach." Jonas suddenly seemed to be snapped awake. "Oh, Rena!" he said, turning to her. "Because of everything that's happened this morning, I almost forgot to ask. Did Tanner tell you anything about the earthquake?"

_Tanner?_ Lyle thought. And then he remembered. That was the geologist that was on the news this morning. Tanner Spalding was a good friend of Rena's. He was a visitor in the Earth Science class that she was in. She decided to strike up a conversation with him and they hit it off pretty well. They had kept in contact ever since. At the time, he was a sophomore in college, but now he graduated with a Bachelor's degree and now worked in a laboratory in the mountains on the northeastern edge of Idaho.

"Oh, that's right!" She was about to spill the beans when she stopped and started looking around, as if suspecting someone might be listening in on them. Lyle, Mia, and Jonas found themselves doing the same thing. Lyle smiled. How comical they must look from an outside perspective! "Lean in."

The four of them leaned towards the center of the table and Rena delivered the shocking news. "As far as Tanner can tell, the earthquake we felt a few days ago… It had no epicenter."

"What?" Jonas said.

Lyle asked, "How is that possible?"

"That's what's baffling his and other scientists' minds. The earthquake had a perfect 4.0 rating on the Richter scale all over the world. It was as if someone grabbed the planet and shook the whole thing like a magic eight ball!"

"I doubt it would work like that. And, anyway, why is all this a secret?"

"Most likely to keep the populace from panicking," Jonas replied. "This was definitely not a normal earthquake. At least, not one caused by the earth's plates. What frightens us humans more than anything else is the unknown…and also things different. This fits both categories."

"I still don't really understand, but I'll go along with it."

"You and Lyle are really getting philosophical today," Rena noted.

"There's one more thing, though," Mia said. "Why bother trying to cover it up? It was felt around the entire world, everyone knows about it."

"It is true that everyone knows about it," Jonas said. "It's possible that it's only the United States that's keeping it under wraps or perhaps there are others. My guess is that they will just ignore it and hope that this will end up an urban legend. And that's only if it doesn't happen again."

"That doesn't make any sense. Wouldn't there be at least some people who would question why?"

"It's a fool's hope, to be sure."

Lyle leaned back on his chair and everyone else did the same. They all were now silent, contemplating this puzzle that lay before them. He absent-mindedly began eating his roll.

Jonas got up, mumbling. "I think I have enough room for the mandarin chicken after all."

By the time he returned, Lyle had finished his chocolate milk. It appeared that Mia had finished as well, but Rena was still nibbling at the chicken.

Once they were both done eating, they decided it was time to leave and headed outside. The sun beat down on the town and cooked Lyle alive in his overcoat. He quickly took it off, as well as his sweatshirt and hung them over his shoulder.

Before Mia bid them farewell and began heading home. As usual, she seemed reluctant, but she kept going. Lyle, Rena, and Jonas continued their trek home.

They had just turned right and began crossing the street when Lyle spoke, "Hey, guys?"

"Yeah?" Jonas responded.

"Yes, Lyle?" Rena asked.

Lyle stopped talking for a moment. This sounded like a sensitive topic. Is it really a good idea to bring it up? But he began, anyway. "It's about Mia. I know you guys listened…"

He was cut off by the sound of tires screeching against cement. A black Lincoln TownCar rounded the bend much too quickly than it needed to and screeched down the road towards the three of them. Any hope of spotting the driver was lost immediately, as the windows were tinted. Its driving was very erratic and constantly passing into the oncoming lane. Lyle, Rena, and Jonas watched this very peculiar sight with confusion, just standing on the corner of the block.

Then the driver turned too soon and made a beeline towards them. "LOOK OUT!" Jonas shouted. Both he and Lyle dove out of the way, Lyle's sweatshirt and overcoat flying off his shoulder. The car drove over the sidewalk where they were and kept going as if there was no one there a second ago. It disappeared down the street.

Several of the students gasped and there was even a scream or two as they witnessed this scene. "Are you alright over there?!" a voice shouted from nearby. It was Mr. Rothschild.

"We're okay!" Jonas shouted back. He quickly scanned his surroundings and then shouted, "RENA!"

Lyle looked in his direction and saw her in the dirt, lying very still.


	6. Chapter 6

Orchard of Mines: Backwards to the Fore

Chapter 6

Lyle and Jonas, as well as some passing students, ran to Rena's side. Jonas pressed his fingertips against her neck. While this was going on, a million thoughts ran through Lyle's head. _What if she's dead? How will her parents take it? How would Mia take it? _He felt a strange sort of pain in his stomach. It wasn't quite nausea, but it was similar. His throat seemed to be trying to choke itself. _I don't know if I can handle losing another friend._

Jonas then breathed a sigh of relief. "She's alive. Help me flip her over."

Lyle, relieved to know that his thoughts didn't come to pass, grabbed Rena's arm while Jonas grabbed her shoulder. They both flipped her over. Her eyes were shut and her mouth was drooping open slightly.

"Is she hurt somewhere?" Lyle asked, scanning her body.

"It doesn't look like it," Jonas replied. "I think perhaps she just fainted." The students that stopped to watch breathed a sigh of relief. "The best thing to do is just let her rest and she'll come around on her own."

"Okay."

"Awww, you had to take the fun out of it?!" Rena suddenly asked. Her eyes were now open and staring at Jonas.

"Y-Y-You were acting?!" Lyle almost shouted. The students were, at first, quite surprised, but then began to disperse, leaving the three of them on the ground.

"Of course! The car missed me by that much and I wanted to see how you two would react if I was hurt."

"That's cruel," Jonas said.

"You had me worried sick, Rena!" Lyle said. "Please don't do that again!"

Rena suddenly embraced Lyle, nearly crushing his spine once again. "You're the bestest, Lyle!"

Lyle hugged back awkwardly. "And besides, you know how I would've reacted already."

"That doesn't make it any less touching."

Jonas stood up. "Anyway, we should probably inform the sheriff's office about that driver. If he or she keeps driving like that, somebody will get hurt. We're lucky it wasn't us. I'll call them when I get home." He then turned his attention to Rena. "And, seriously, that wasn't okay what you pulled, Rena. What if someone had called an ambulance and taken you to the hospital just to find out you were faking us out?"

"Oh. Yeah, that might've been bad."

Lyle got up and helped Rena back on her feet. He then picked up his sweatshirt and overcoat, which were now covered in dirt. The three of them continued walking while Lyle began dusting them off. He then casually swung them both over his shoulder. Jonas remarked, "What a day this is. I swear, for that moment, you were possessed by Lyle."

"How so?" Lyle asked.

"Lyle, you have a habit of getting into situations without fully understanding them. Rena did much the same thing."

"But the difference is this: I know when to take a situation seriously and when not to."

"But you're always serious, Lyle," Rena said.

"Not always. I can find the humor in something, given time."

"But there's hardly ever any time," Jonas said. "Timing is the most important thing when it comes to comedy. If your timing is off, then the joke fails immediately. Even if the joke is poor, it can get a good chuckle if it's well timed."

"You would know all about that, Jonas."

Rena chuckled. "Wow, Lyle, that wasn't bad."

Jonas slapped Lyle's shoulder and said with a mock British accent, "There may be hope for you yet, my lad."

"Thanks, I guess."

"Whoa, do you see that?!" Rena shouted, pointing in the distance to the east. Lyle and Jonas looked in that direction. There appeared to be a wall of dust moving towards the town. It loomed over it, threatening to choke out the oxygen in the air and block out the midday sun.

"A dust storm?" Lyle asked.

"Looks like it. Let's hurry home!" Jonas said, now running. Lyle and Rena quickly followed suit, Lyle now clutching his clothes over his shoulder.

Rena was slightly more athletic than the other two, so it wasn't long before she pulled ahead of them. Jonas peeled off when they reached the corner bend just outside of town. "Good luck, guys!"

"Good luck!" the two of them shouted back.

They kept running, but it wasn't long before Lyle paused to catch his breath. Rena grabbed his hand and kept running, "Come on, we can't stop now!"

"Let's go to my place!" Lyle shouted between breaths.

"Okay!"

It was soon evident that they wouldn't make it to Lyle's house before getting caught in the storm. It was just beginning to envelop Midvale. Despite its close proximity, Lyle caught sight of something that halted him.

"Hey, why are you stopping?" Rena asked.

"That cat…" Lyle began. The feline his eyes laid on had a most unusual color. Its fur seemed to be black, at first, but upon closer inspection, it was actually a very dark purple, no other colors. Its eyes were so striking as well. They bore the same color as an aqua stone. It just sat there, staring at him, wanting something. It was almost as if it were…intelligent.

"How strange," Rena said. She seemed to have noticed it as well.

Lyle was about to approach it when suddenly the air around him turned to dust. He was forced to raise his arm and protect his eyes. Rena screamed as the wind began tearing at her clothes. "COME ON, HURRY!"Lyle shouted, pulling on her hand once again.

They worked their way up the driveway and onto the porch, the dust storm now taking them on full force. Lyle quickly pulled out his house key and tried sticking it into the keyhole. It was having trouble going in. "HURRY UP!" Rena shouted.

"I'M TRYING!" Lyle shouted back. It required sticking it in a certain way… That got it! Lyle turned the key and pulled the door open. Dust forced its way into Lyle's home, but only for a moment. Both he and Rena pushed the door closed and then collapsed onto the ground, both catching their breaths.

Rena let out a good, hearty laugh while Lyle did the same. "That was intense!" Lyle shouted. "I'm guessing since you're laughing that you're feeling alright?"

"Of course I'm alright! It'll take more than a bit of wind and dust to drag my spirits down!"

"I was speaking physically, Rena."

"Oh, that, too!"

"Good to hear." Lyle stood up and began brushing himself off, surprised at just how much dust had settled on him. "I better call mom and Martin and make sure they're alright."

"Sounds like a plan. Do you mind if I use your shower?"

"No, go ahead."

"Thank you!" With that, she walked into the hallway bathroom and closed the door behind her.

Lyle pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and noticed something troubling. Both his mother and Martin tried to call him; all the more reason to do this now. He immediately dialed his mother's work. Looking at his overcoat, he realized it was lucky he didn't stow anything in its pockets. They would likely have slipped out in the run. He dropped them on the linoleum, for fear of spreading the dust. He'll clean them later.

"This is Jim's Market. Jane Connaway speaking."

"Hey, mom."

"Lyle! Do you know how many times I called?!"

"Relax, mom, I'm fine. We saw the storm headed our way and decided to take cover in my house." It was then that Lyle heard tapping at the door. The central part was glass, so Lyle saw immediately what was making the noise. It was the cat, pawing at the door. Considering the weather outside…

"We?" Jane interrupted his thoughts. "Is Rena with you? Martin says he's taking cover in the manager's office trailer."

Lyle opened the door briefly and let the cat inside, where it shook itself to loosen the dust on it, though without much success. "Yeah, she's with me. Jonas made it home fine. I don't know about Mia." He made a mental note to call and check on her. "What about you? Are you doing okay?"

"I'm just fine. I work indoors so it didn't take much effort for us to hunker down. All Jim had to do was lock the doors to keep the breeze from blowing in."

"Okay. I'm going to check on everyone else now. Stay safe, mom."

"You do the same. And Lyle?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier, I was just so worried…"

Lyle smiled and his eyes softened. "Don't worry about it. I understand perfectly."

"Good, I'm glad to hear that. I love you, son."

"I love you, too, mom."

"Bye."

"Bye."

Lyle ended the call and was just about to dial Martin's number when he heard Rena calling him from the shower. He was hesitant at first, because he didn't know what the cat would do while he wasn't looking, but it seemed pretty well-behaved, so he decided to take a chance.

He knocked on the door and Rena shouted, "Come in!"

Lyle stepped inside, thankful that the curtains were not see-through. Steam had already begun fogging up the mirror and the air was warm and moist. This feeling was rare, considering that Idaho was very hot and very dry. Rena poked her head out the side, careful not to reveal anything else. "Do you have any other shampoo products? I don't really want to use one specifically for guys…"

"Oh, yeah. My mom has her own stuff. Is that alright?"

"Yes, that will do nicely. Thank you, Lyle!"

It seemed Lyle had been drafted before he even had a chance to volunteer. "Anytime." He closed the door as he left and went into his mother's bathroom, which was built into her bedroom. He looked in his mother's shower and grabbed the first bottle he came across that was labeled shampoo.

He immediately went back into the hallway bathroom and knocked on the door. "Come, Lyle!"

He pushed the door open and walked over to the shower curtain, holding the bottle above the space. A hand covered in soap suds snatched the bottle away. "Thanks again, Lyle! You're the greatest!"

"Not the 'bestest?'"

"That, too, but I'm getting tired of that word. It gets boring when you say a word so many times, so I'm taking a break from it."

"Uh-huh…" Lyle muttered, unsure of what to say. "See you when you're out!"

Rena chuckled a little and said, "Alright, see you then!"

Lyle closed the bathroom door and returned to the family room, where he came across a rather odd sight. The cat was pawing at the handle of the faucet over the kitchen sink. This wouldn't be so out of the ordinary if it weren't pulling on it. Is it trying to turn on the water?

He walked into the kitchen and did with ease with what the cat had difficulty, allowing the water to gush out of the faucet. The next moment was even stranger than the last.

The cat stepped into the sink and drenched itself in water, washing away the dust that had collected on its fur. Lyle just watched, trying to process what was taking place. The cat…was taking a bath…by washing itself in a sink. Who trained this cat?

It wasn't long before the cat hopped out, completely drenched. Lyle pulled a dish towel out from under the sink and began drying it off, also wiping up the water on the counter. While he was doing this, his mind was still processing the last few minutes. This was definitely not an ordinary cat.

Then Lyle remembered Martin and dialed his number on the cell phone. He'll figure out the cat later…maybe. He turned around to gaze out in the storm. Even now, the visibility was practically zero. "Hello?" Martin answered.

"Hey, it's Lyle."

"Lyle! Do you know what's going on outside?"

"Oh, believe me, I know. I was caught in it." Lyle heard the shower turn off.

"Oh, geez, are you okay?"

"We're fine, don't worry."

"We? Who's with you?"

"Rena took shelter in our house. She just took a shower and it seems like she's coming out now."

"Okay. Hang in there, it should be over soon. Something this intense should pass quickly."

"What about you? Are you in shelter?"

"Yeah, all of us are crammed into the manager's trailer. I'm lucky I was able to secure this little corner of mine."

"Sounds like competition for space is pretty fierce."

"That's putting it mildly. There were already a few shoving matches. Everyone's in a bit of a sour mood since we're all going to have to clean the dust out of the Mouse House. It came right as we were setting the doors in place, too… Anyway, it looks like I'm going to be a bit later than planned tonight. Will Rena be there by the time I get home?"

"Perhaps. I don't see why she can't stay, but I guess it depends on what mood we're in."

"Alright. Have you checked with everyone else?"

"Everyone's doing fine. Except I haven't checked with Mia yet."

"Oh!" He said that as if he took a punch to the chest. "Better check on her."

"Right. I'll see you when you get home."

"See you then. Bye."

"Bye."

Lyle clicked the end button, turned around…his phone slipped out of his hand and bounced off the carpet. The moment he laid his eyes on this sight, it would be engraved on his memory forever. It was Rena…in nothing but a towel.

She laughed when Lyle dropped the phone and put both hands over his face. "Oh, I feel like I shouldn't be seeing this…"

"Silly, I'm not even naked!"

"Well, you're the closest I've ever seen!"

"Well, you'll have to get used to it. No matter what, I'm stuck here for another hour at least."

Lyle peeked in between his fingers, trying desperately not to stare. He kept repeating in his mind, _be a gentleman, be a gentleman, be a gentleman. Remember Tanya._ "I don't think the storm will last that long."

"Oh, I'm sure it won't! I put my clothes in your washer. I hope you don't mind."

"No, I don't mind, but what are you going to wear in the meantime?"

Rena shrugged. "I guess just this."

"You could borrow some of my clothes…or perhaps my mom's…"

She shook her head. "Nah, I like it the way it is. It gives my body a chance to breath. It's very comfortable."

"Maybe for you," Lyle muttered.

Rena's eyes narrowed at him. Lyle realized with sheer horror that she was about to pull something, but what? She started casually walking towards him, her hands held behind her, until she stood about a foot away. "You know, Lyle," she began, "there is always the option of taking it off…"

"A towel is fine!" he shouted almost too loudly, his face now on fire.

Rena smiled that goofy smile and slapped Lyle's shoulder playfully. "There! I knew you'd see it my way!"

_Because I didn't have much choice,_ he thought.

"Hey, that's the cat from before," Rena said.

Lyle had just noticed that the mysterious cat was now rubbing against his legs. "Oh, yeah. It wanted to take shelter from the dust storm, so I let it in."

"You do know what happened last time you let wild cats in right?"

"I remember. But I think this one is housebroken. Whoever trained it did an excellent job."

Rena crouched down and held her hand out. The cat cautiously approached, sniffing her. "I don't really feel comfortable calling an animal 'it.' Do you know what gender…he or she is?"

"I guess you could turn her over and find out." Right at that moment, the cat immediately ran away and hissed at them. "What's gotten into it?"

"She's probably very shy," she said, jokingly.

Lyle turned to Rena. "She?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. Something tells me she's a girl."

"Good enough for me. A she, she is."

The cat suddenly let out a series of meows that were so short, they were practically chirps. She started walking to the kitchen, but her movements were so fluid, she was practically gliding. Lyle and Rena watched as she just sat in the kitchen and chirped once more, waiting for one of them to take action.

"I think she's hungry," Lyle said.

"Well, we'll just have to feed her. It'd be rude to let our guest starve, wouldn't it?" Rena walked into the kitchen and started rummaging through the walk-in pantry. "Do you have any tuna?"

"Yeah, it should be on the floor in there."

"Okay! I'll get a little something for myself if you don't mind."

"No, no, take anything you want. I'll call Mia in the meantime and make sure she's okay."

"Super! You're the bestest, Lyle!"

"Well, that didn't last long," Lyle muttered as he picked up his cell phone once more and dialed.

The phone rang for quite awhile. As he waited, he watched Rena set a tuna can on the floor and stroke the cat as the little thing ate. Rena had the corner of a cracker in her mouth and had a bowl sitting on the counter next to her. She stole a glance at Lyle and with a quick movement, brought the whole cracker into her mouth and smiled.

"This is Mia," a voice suddenly sounded from the phone.

"Mia, hey, it's Lyle."

"Lyle?" He may be wrong, but there seemed to have been disbelief in her voice. This was confirmed when she said, "I don't hear from you that often, outside of school."

"Well, with the dust storm going on, I wanted to make sure you weren't caught in the middle of it."

"Lyle, it's a dust storm, not a hurricane."

"But still, I…just…" Lyle started thinking that perhaps he was overreacting. "Still, I thought I should check, anyway."

Mia was silent for a moment. "Lyle, look outside."

Lyle glanced out the window and saw that there was no longer a dust storm obscuring his view. The day was as clear as it was before; and apparently, the storm had now moved into the mountains. "Oh…"

"But still…that's…very sweet of you, Lyle." Mia had to really force that sentence out.

"A compliment?"

Rena gasped. "A compliment from Mia?! My entire world just imploded on itself!"

Mia's kindness was immediately replaced by hostility. "Yes…a compliment. And to answer your next inevitable question, I made it home before it arrived."

"Oh, good. Rena and I were caught in the middle of it. We took shelter at my place."

"I see. It's over now, so we might as well get back to our usual routine."

"Y-Yeah."

"See you, Lyle."

"See you." Lyle clicked the end button and sighed.

"Something wrong?" Rena asked.

"Possibly. Mia sounded…aggressive after the compliment. I think I made her mad…again."

Rena walked over to Lyle. "Don't worry so much, Lyle. Mia's just being her usual self."

"Well, yeah, but…still… I don't like getting on people's bad sides."

"It's Mia, Lyle. Everyone's on her bad side."

"You don't seem to be. How do you do it?"

"Oh, even I get on her bad side. It's just not as often as you."

"What is it about me that irks her so much?"

Rena thought about this for a moment and then suddenly started chuckling, trying in vain to hold it in. "What?"

"I have an idea of what it might be."

"And what's that?"

"Uh-uh." Rena crossed her arms triumphantly and smiled.

"Oh, come on…" Lyle started. Much like him, when Rena chooses to keep secrets, it's nigh impossible to pry them open. Wait…secrets? "Hang on a second! I thought you didn't keep secrets from me."

The look on Rena's face was enough for Lyle to realize that he jabbed her in the right place. "Uh…" she began.

"Ah, forget it," Lyle said. "I have secrets of my own, so it's only fair you have some as well."

"That's what I was going to say!"

"Sure you were."

Rena suddenly stepped in front of Lyle and held up her finger disapprovingly. "Hey, don't get sarcastic on me, young man! You're Lyle Seymour Connaway, one hundred percent serious with an accidental sense of humor! Get your identity straight!"

Ignoring the fact that Rena essentially said there was more in percents than one hundred, he responded, "What, I have no room to change?"

"Nope! You're staying the way you are, period!" Once her little burst of energy was over, she sighed and rested her forehead against his chest. "Well, that's what I would like to say…"

Lyle hugged Mia tightly. "I get what you're saying."

She hugged tightly back. "Don't ever change, Lyle."

He closed his eyes, focusing all his attention on the hug. "I won't."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

"Lyle…there's something I need to tell you."

Lyle's heart started beating a little faster. Is this going where he thought it was going? "What is it?"

"…My towel came undone when I hugged you."

His entire body tensed up and he let his arms fall away from Rena. Indeed, he didn't feel the texture of the towel anymore, instead he felt… "My eyes are closed. You can put it back on."

"Okay, thanks."

Lyle kept his eyes shut as tightly as he could while he heard shuffling from right in front of him. A meow that came from the direction of the front door reminded Lyle of the female feline. Well, presumably female, at least. "Does she want out?"

"Looks like it. Oh, I've got my towel back on."

He opened his eyes slowly, just in case. Sure enough, her towel was back in place. "I don't think your wearing a towel is a good idea after all."

Rena opened the front door and the cat immediately took off down the driveway, as if it was suddenly in a hurry. She closed it and returned her attention to Lyle. "Perhaps you're right, but I stand in the presence of a perfect gentleman. I trust you will shut your eyes before you get a good look."

"You really should stop calling me a 'perfect gentleman.'"

"Oh? Why's that?"

"I'm not perfect. You know I make mistakes, sometimes; probably more often than you're led to believe."

A series of beeps and boops resembling a melody resounded from the laundry alcove. The washer had just finished. "I love that melody," she said, apparently forgetting the previous conversation. It's just as well. Lyle didn't really feel comfortable in saying more than that.

"I'll get it," he said.

"Okay. I'll see what's on TV."

"Alright." Lyle threw her now sopping clothes into the dryer and turned it on. He paused for a moment and leaned against the dryer. That whole "perfect gentleman" business… It reminded him too much of Tanya. The moment that name popped into his head, he immediately repressed those thoughts. There's no point in dwelling on that and bringing his spirits down.

He made his way back to the family room where Rena was flipping through the channels on the TV. "Have you found anything to watch?"

"No," she responded. "All of my favorite programs don't run until the evenings. I barely have any idea what these shows are."

"I see. I think I'll step outside for a bit."

"Oh, wait, but…" she began. "I can't really go out there."

"You don't have to come with me."

"Well…okay, just stay on the porch, okay?"

"Relax, that's where I was going, anyway."

"Good."

Lyle stepped outside and felt the sunshine on his face, which was truly an exhilarating experience. He breathed a sigh of relief. Rena truly was the greatest friend he's ever had and he enjoys her company immensely, but there are times when she can be a bit…much. Some peace and quiet ought to do him some good; at least, for awhile.

It seemed that damage was minimal on the porch. The lounge chairs escaped unscathed, but the table had blown over. Luckily, there was nothing set on top of it and the glass that made up the top was still intact. With a little effort, he managed to put the table back on its feet. That's when he noticed…broken glass? He was puzzled as to where this came from at first, but then realized that the vase, which was set on the railing, was conspicuously missing.

Looks like it has fallen to Lyle to get the mess cleaned up. He stepped back inside the house. "Back already?" Rena asked as she turned to him.

"Not exactly. I'm just getting the broom and dustpan. The vase fell during the storm and I need to pick it up before someone's feet get torn to shreds."

"Oh, it's a shame. That was a beautiful vase."

Lyle went to the kitchen and reached around the refrigerator, grabbing the broom stowed back there. "Honestly, I didn't really pay much attention to it. It was always just there."

"…I see." Lyle stopped. He rarely heard those words come out of Rena's mouth.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked.

"Just peachy." She smiled, but it seemed…forced.

"Are you absolutely sure?"

She gave one, over-exaggerated nod. "Absitively."

Lyle didn't want to pry, so he simply said, "Alright," got the dustpan out from the under the seat and stepped outside.

As he was about to close the door, he heard Rena ask, "How long will it take?"

"It should only be a couple minutes. As for after the cleanup, I'm not entirely sure."

Rena looked at him as if surprised. "Oh! That's good."

There was no doubt now. Something's got her down, but what? However, Lyle, decided to leave it for now. If Rena wanted to tell him, she would. If not now, then it'll be when she's ready. He focused on the task at hand and managed to get all the glass in the dustpan. As he walked towards the trash can in the kitchen, there was complete silence from Rena. Not even a greeting. This went from unusual to uncharacteristic when he realized that there was one of those judge really TV shows. He had no idea what the official term was. Anyway, he knew for a fact that Rena found these shows boring. And when she was bored, she was loud. And yet, you could hear a pin drop. Something was definitely wrong.

Lyle threw away the glass and put the dustpan away. As he was passing the family room, he hesitated. Should he find out what's going with Rena or should he leave it be? Does it have something to do with him?

"Rena, did I hurt you in some way?" Lyle blurted out, unsure of what exactly he was doing.

She looked back at him with confused and distant eyes. "Huh?"

Lyle sat down next to her. "I can tell something's wrong. Do you want to talk about it?"

"Oh, it's…it's nothing you've done, Lyle. I was just thinking about 'what if.'"

"'What if?' What if what?"

"What if you treated women like you treated that vase? It's almost scary and kind of depressing."

"Oh, is that all?" Rena then shot a look of annoyance at him. This caught Lyle off guard. It's been a long time since she's had that face. "Sorry. I was under the impression that it was a bit more serious. Not that it isn't." Lyle once again hugged her. "Uh, don't hug back." She did, anyway. He once again shut his eyes tightly. "Not again…"

"I'll fix it in a bit. This hug is exactly what I need. Let me enjoy it a bit longer."

"Fair enough." For a couple awkward minutes, they sat in silence. "You sure enjoy putting me in situations like this, don't you?"

"Yes. You're my source of entertainment, Lyle."

"Just your source?" he prodded a little.

"Of course, you're much more than that to me."

"I'm glad to hear it."

"Oh, Lyle, you're the bestest!" She squeezed him as hard as she could, nearly breaking his back. He often forgot how strong she could be. "Okay, I'm back to my usual self! I can feel it!"

"Great! Put your towel back on."

"Will do!"

Once again, Lyle kept his eyes shut as Rena got as close to decent as she could at the moment. While managing to keep them shut, he would be lying to himself if he wasn't tempted to open his eye, just a little crack. He immediately stopped this line of thinking and thought to himself, _Remember Tanya._

"Done!" she called out. Lyle opened his eyes, glad to be able to see again. "Thank you, Lyle."

Without warning, she pinched Lyle's cheek. "Ack, hey!" He tenderly rubbed his cheek. "Must you do that every time?"

"Yes! It's a requirement every time you turn red in my presence!"

"You didn't do that last time…"

"Oh, thanks for reminding me!"

"Ow! Stop!"

Rena responded with a little giggle. The buzzer from the dryer drowned her out. "Oh! I can put my clothes back on now!"

"Yeah, please do that."

"Oh, Lyle, stop complaining. You know you enjoyed it."

"I…I didn't… And I wasn't complaining!"

"You totally were!"

"Was not!"

"Was, too!"

"Was… Wait, are you talking about the complaining or my enjoyment?"

Rena just shrugged. "I don't know. I'll be right back!" She disappeared down the hallway and went into the bathroom.

Lyle let out a sigh of relief. "Rena, you have no idea what you put me through when you tease me like that, do you?" he mumbled.

He laid down on the empty couch and suddenly found himself quite exhausted. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to shut his eyes, just until Rena came back.

Lyle closed his eyes and drifted off almost immediately. He was hovering in that place right between consciousness and unconsciousness. He could still hear everything that happened in the waking world, but it didn't register in his mind. It was there that he saw it.

Before he had any time to absorb what happened, he was shaken awake. "Wake up, sleepyhead!" Rena shouted, now back into her own clothes. "Can't have you sleeping in the middle of the day! It's unpractical!"

"What, you've never heard of naps?" Lyle asked, sitting up.

"All they do is mess up the sleep schedule! Not good at all!"

"How long was I asleep?"

"I was in the bathroom for about a minute, so maybe that long?"

"A minute? A micro-dream, then."

Rena seemed puzzled and set her elbows on Lyle's knees, like a child excitedly waiting for a great story. "What's a micro-dream?"

"It's like a normal dream, except it's duration is considerably shorter, perhaps about three seconds or so. I had one just now."

"Ooooh, what was it about?"

"I was hovering between the waking world and the unconscious world. What looked like a mass of darkness hovered over me. It twisted and churned, never really taking form. Then I heard it's deep, gravely voice, 'It's time, Lyle… It's time…'"

Rena exhaled like she was holding her breath and then shuddered. "Oooh, that's scary! I wonder where your subconscious got that kind of imagery." She tilted her head slightly. "Have you been watching horror movies again?"

"What, no! Believe me, I've learned my lesson from last time." It was Lyle's turn to shudder. "Those scenes still haunt me to this day."

"Well, good. I don't want your health to be ruined." Rena pushed off of Lyle's legs and stood up. "I believe I should be going now. My parents will want to know that I'm alright."

"Of course." Rena's parents were always very loose with her. Their method was that if they didn't keep a leash on her, she wouldn't try to bite. So they wouldn't have her call up on where she was, which Jane would often have Lyle do. Plus, she didn't have a cell phone at all. Thus far, the method has worked for them.

He stood up and followed Rena to the door.

"Keep it tight, Lyle!" she said as she walked out.

"See you later!" he called back, closing and locking the door behind her.

And then he was alone. Lyle, unsure of what to do now, plopped down on the couch. At first, he was thankful for the peace and quiet, but then he began thinking about that micro-dream. And the more he thought about it, the more it disturbed him. It seemed so real, as all dreams are while it's happening. But this… Lyle's lips formed a thin line. Was it real?

He stood up, determined to keep his mind busy, but with what? As he cycled through his list of options, his eyes then drifted to the front door where he saw his overcoat and sweatshirt lying nearby, still covered in dust. He then realized that he must be still covered in dust (which seemed not to bother Rena), so the next logical thing to do was take a shower.

Glad to do something to get his mind off that dream, he made his way to the hallway bathroom. Because he was home alone, he didn't necessarily have to close the door, but he did it, anyway, just out of habit.

He turned on the shower, which was still warm, thankfully. He stripped down and stepped inside, letting the water wash away the dust. Pausing for a moment, he stuck the top of his head beneath the shower and let the water run down his body. What a glorious feeling! A slight smile grew on his face. No matter what, he would always do this at least once when in the shower. It always felt amazing.

Lyle pulled himself out from under the water stream. While it was fun, he needed to focus on the whole point of a shower, cleaning. He went through his usual routine which started with his hair and ended with his feet.

Just as he finished fifteen minutes after stepping in, a strange yellow light emanated from behind him. He immediately whirled around and saw something truly staggering. He backed against the wall, completely terrified, trying to keep as far away as he could without it leaving his sight. An open gate, which was essentially a pair of double doors, had appeared before him, and within, bands of light formed what looked like a tunnel. And something was coming out!

A woman came out, deposited in the shower by what initially looked like black tentacles, but then Lyle noticed that they bore a closer resemblance to arms, having what appeared to be the hands of children at their ends. The woman appeared to be not much older than Lyle, only by a few years. She bore a striking resemblance to Mia. Perhaps it was her hair, as it was also blonde and about the same length. What made her stand apart, however, was her clothing. It was all white trimmed with blue, the exception being her leggings which were dark blue, and seemed to have the vibe of a clergyman or perhaps that of a noble.

Once the woman was left in the shower, the gate closed and then fizzled into nothingness, leaving only a wall behind. Lyle still did not move. The blonde stood up, now getting wet from the shower. "Oh, that was a little rougher than I…" She stopped when she noticed Lyle.

For a moment, they…stared at each other. Lyle had no idea whether he didn't know how to react or if he was simply too shocked _to_ react. This lady seemed to have the same problem. Her cheeks were completely flushed. Is that what Lyle looked like all the time? He had to admit, it is kind of cute to see it on the opposite gender. Finally, Lyle managed to ask, "Am I…hallucinating?"

She fainted.


	7. Chapter 7

Orchard of Mines: Backwards to the Fore

Chapter 7

The blonde fell out of the shower and landed on her back, unconscious. Lyle, still trying to take in what just happened, leapt out of the shower and pressed his fingers against Colette's artery on her neck. Good. She really _did_ just faint. The least he could do, then, is make her more comfortable.

He grabbed the hand towel, which was sitting on the sink. It was slightly damp, but it's better than nothing. Lyle kneeled down, about to put it beneath her head, when he stopped. No, it would be better if it was softer and unused. Since there was no one else home, he could wander around the house naked, as long as he stayed away from windows.

Lyle opened the door and headed for the hall closet, where he snatched a guest towel, which was much plusher than what he and his family used and headed back. Kneeling down once more, he slowly and carefully lifted the girl's head, praying that she wouldn't wake up just yet. Luckily, she never stirred.

He hurriedly toweled himself off and got dressed, nearly tripping as he was putting his pants on. Instinctively, his hand slammed against the wall, restoring his balance, and causing the girl to yelp and raise her head. "Don't look yet!"

She cried out once more and buried her face into the towel. "I'm sorry!" her muffled voice shouted.

"Don't worry about it. Something tells me that you didn't intend for this to happen."

"No, not at all."

Lyle, now only naked from the waist up, said, "Okay, it's safe now."

The girl raised her head and got up on her hands and knees, wobbling slightly. "Oh, what happened?" she asked, turning to him. An audible gasp escaped and she looked awkwardly away. She's reminding Lyle of himself more and more.

"Are you not used to seeing guys without shirts?" Lyle asked as he slipped one on.

"Not really."

"Well, I've got one on now. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable."

She looked back at him as she sat on her knees and waved her arms frantically. "No, no, no, no, no, the fault was entirely mine!"

Lyle sat down on the toilet, with the lid closed. "How so?"

"Well…I…um…"

"As I said, don't worry about it. Anyway, how did you appear in the shower?" Lyle slipped a pair of socks on. He didn't mind walking around home barefoot, but when there are guests around, he was always quick to get them covered up.

"Oh, well, it's a long story. And I think Lloyd could tell it better." Before Lyle could ask who that was, the blonde suddenly realized something. Without hesitation, she was up on her feet. "Where is he? Have you seen him?"

Lyle also got on his feet. "No, why? Was he supposed to be with you?"

"Yes, along with Genis and Marta."

"I haven't seen them."

The girl stood up and ran out the bathroom. "I've got to look for them!"

Lyle stood up and ran after her. "Alright, I'll help!" At this point, he didn't care whether he was hallucinating or not. If she wasn't real, then at least it would be exposing a problem he didn't know he had. If she was real, then he had quite a few questions that needed answering. That can wait, however.

"You would? Really?" She stopped as she entered the family room.

"Of course. I'll start searching my house. You take a look outside."

"Okay."

Lyle made his way down the hallway and just began searching his room, when he suddenly heard shouting outside. Wondering what all the commotion was, he ran to his door where he saw the blonde embracing what appeared to be a small child. The kid appeared to be twelve years old, wore a tunic that was mostly blue and white, but had dark blue on the sleeves and shorts, and wore same color boots. What was most striking to Lyle, however, was his silver hair. At its shortest, it touched his neck. At its longest, it ended at his chest.

"I was worried when you didn't show up," the kid said. "I thought perhaps you got lost along the way."

Colette chuckled. "Nope, I arrived here just fine! Well, for the most part, anyway."

"For the most part?"

"Genis, can this…wait until…later?" a weak, shaky voice came from around the corner.

"Are you sure you can walk, Marta?" another voice resounded in the yard.

"I'm fine…for now."

A man and a girl emerged from around the corner. The man wore mostly red with the exception being his overalls, which were dark blue. He also bore silver decorative buttons up and down his shirt and a single belt with two twin blades in their scabbards. His hair was brown and spiked, but it seemed almost blown aside, as if he was hit by that dust storm, except without the dust.

Lyle noticed that the swords he carried with him were of the same kind as his own. The design of the guard was different, but the way the blade curved indicated that they, too, were katanas. Though, they were slightly shorter than his.

The girl seemed about the same age as Lyle. She wore a white shirt with a black collar, blue leggings, and brown thigh-high boots. Her face was as white as a bed sheet and looked like she was about ready to pass out. Despite this, Lyle thought she was kind of cute.

The girl rested against the side of Lyle's house. "I just need some rest…I'll be fine."

"You can come inside, if you want," Lyle said.

"Oh, thank you." She hobbled over and shook his hand. "I'm Marta Lualdi."

"My name is Lyle Connaway. Feel free to take any couch you want."

"Gladly. Again, thank you." After her came the man who was with her. He, too, shook Lyle's hand. "I'm Lloyd Irving. Thank you for taking us in."

It then occurred to Lyle that he was allowing complete strangers into his home. But it would be rude to refuse them now and besides, they seem like decent people.

The blonde came forward and shook Lyle's hand as well. "I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself right away. My name is Colette Brunel."

"You don't have to apologize. You had more pressing concerns at the time. I completely understand."

"Oh, okay, good." She smiled as she stepped inside.

At this moment, Lyle was getting a pretty good idea of what it felt like being one of those greeters at the superstores.

The twelve-year-old stepped forward and put out his hand as well, though he seemed a little hesitant. "My name is Genis Sage."

"Lyle Connaway, at your service."

"You're human, aren't you?" Genis asked as he let go of Lyle's hand and stepped inside.

"Aren't we all?" Lyle responded as he closed the front door behind him. Marta was now resting on the couch. Colette sat right next to her on one of the chairs that was originally by the kitchen table. She was stacking pillows for Marta to rest on. Lloyd leaned against the counter, with his arms folded and his brow scowled. There's definitely something on his mind that troubled him deeply.

"Well…not exactly." Genis leaned against the back of the couch where Marta was.

Lyle raised an eyebrow at that response. "What do you mean? Are you aliens or something?"

"Do we look like aliens to you?"

"Well, your style of clothes is unlike anything I've ever seen before. So, yeah, pretty much."

"Our clothes? Where are we, exactly?"

"Um…Idaho?" The four of them exchanged glances in confusion at each other and then back to Lyle. Lloyd was now paying attention. "United States of America?" Confusion was still rampant. "Perhaps I should show you a globe."

"Yeah, I think that would help."

Lyle opened the closet next to the front door and reached up on the shelf near the top. He felt around for a little while. Just as he began wondering if his mom or Martin had moved it, his hand came in contact with cold metal. He grabbed hold of the stand and brought it down. Judging from their reactions when they laid their eyes on it, they were definitely no longer home.

Genis glanced over every land mass, every continent, and every ocean. "I've memorized every landmark in Symphonia, but none of these are familiar to me whatsoever."

"So we're in a completely different world?" Colette asked.

"Looks that way. I figured as much, though considering the architecture of this house."

"Yeah, it sort of looked like it was haunted…"

"It's a Victorian style house," Lyle said. "It's supposed to look that way. Anyway, I'm not sure where to begin this…"

"Begin what?"

"Well, I guess the first thing I should ask is why you guys came here."

Lloyd finally spoke up. "We're looking for a friend of ours named Sheena Fujibayashi. Have you seen her? She should've been here about two hours ago."

"No, she hasn't shown up here. Not that I know of, anyway. Rena and I were taking shelter from the dust storm at the time."

"Dust storm?" Colette asked. "Is that sort of like a sandstorm?"

"Yeah, I guess so. Honestly, it was the first one I experienced, so I'm not entirely sure what the difference is. For all I know, it could've been a sandstorm."

"Is that really so unusual?" Genis asked.

"Yeah. These days, 'unusual' is par for the course. All kinds of weird stuff has been happening lately. There's the dust storm, the psycho driver, and not a few days ago, there was an earthquake with no epicenter." The Symphonians' eyes widened at this news and they exchanged glances. Even Marta's sickness couldn't hide her surprise. "Don't tell me…"

"We experienced an earthquake a few days ago as well," Lloyd explained. "It took a bit longer than usual for the news to spread throughout Symphonia, since Mizuho's information network was temporarily shut down for the move."

"Hold it. Before we read more into this, did this earthquake happen four days ago?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, continue reading."

Genis took over. "Everyone figured something supernatural was at work, but no one really came up with evidence of the sort. Scientists in Meltokio and Sybak are still baffled by this phenomenon."

"I'm not surprised. Our scientists haven't come up with answers yet, either."

"Well, I doubt we could find out much more." Genis then turned to Lloyd. "Should we start looking for Sheena now?"

"I'd like to get started, but..." He then turned to Marta. "Are you feeling any better?"

"A little…" she said, her voice still shaking. "I just need…more time…"

"Are you going to be okay?" Lyle asked.

"It's just…motion sickness…"

"Motion sickness?"

"Yeah," Genis said. "She gets it whenever she rides in any form of transportation, other than walking. And for some reason, she's unaffected when riding a Rheaird."

"I…have no idea what that is, but I'm sure it's a mystery. Anyway, before you get started on your search, I recommend you get a change of clothes. You guys will stand out like a sore thumb and as you ask people around for your friend, they're just going to assume you're insane and ignore you."

"Point taken," Lloyd responded. "Where are we going to get clothes, though?"

"You can borrow some of mine, if you wish."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yeah, unless you have a problem with it."

"No, it'll work fine. It'll save us the trouble of buying it."

"By the way," Genis chimed in. "What's your currency in this world?"

"There are several different kinds, but the one we use in this country is the dollar."

"Dollar, huh? Sounds kind of weird. We use gald."

"_That_ sounds weird to me."

"Uh, what about us?" Colette asked.

"Well…I suppose you could borrow some of my mom's clothing."

"Will she be okay with that?"

"Honestly…I doubt it, but what choice do you have? Your currency won't work and I'm flat out broke. Besides, it'd feel pretty awkward to buy women's clothing at a store or even asking my mom to buy it. The only option left is stealing."

"That is out of the question!" Lloyd said.

"Relax, I wasn't suggesting it. I was merely pointing out some facts."

"Okay, here's what we'll do." Lloyd stepped into the middle of the group. "Colette and Marta will stay here. Genis and I will get a change of clothes and begin our search. Where would you recommend we start, Lyle?"

"Well, I…" Suddenly, Lyle seemed to lose his balance and placed his hands on the wall.

"Lyle? What's wrong?"

"I'm just feeling a little dizzy."

"Do you want to lay down?"

Lyle suddenly felt extremely drowsy. "Too late…" His legs grew too weak to support his weight and he collapsed on the ground. He guessed that everyone was shuffling around him, shouting, but all he saw and heard were shadows dancing about him and whispers within his ear.

Consciousness was then lost to him.


End file.
